TORONTO: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday stated that US President Donald Trump’s talk of absorbing Canada “is a real thing” and is related to the country’s rich natural resources, according to a government source.
Trudeau made these comments during a closed-door session with business and labor leaders on how best to respond to Trump’s threats of tariffs on Canadian imports.
The remarks were first reported by the Toronto Star, which said they were accidentally broadcast through a loudspeaker.
Trump has repeatedly suggested that Canada would be better off if it agreed to become the 51st US state.
“They are very aware of our resources, of what we have, and they very much want to benefit from them,” the Star quoted Trudeau as saying.
“But Mr. Trump has it in mind that one of the easiest ways of doing that is absorbing our country. And it is a real thing.”
A government source confirmed that the Star’s account of the remarks was accurate.
Canada, attempting to fend off US measures, has emphasized that it is a trusted partner and a major supplier of oil, minerals, and other natural resources.
In open remarks to reporters, Trudeau had earlier said that Canada might face long-term political challenges with the United States, even if it successfully avoids Trump’s tariff threats.
On Monday, Trump stated that he would delay the imposition of tariffs on Canadian exports by 30 days in exchange for concessions on border and crime enforcement, particularly cracking down on fentanyl smuggling.
Trudeau said Ottawa’s immediate challenge was to convince Washington that Canada was doing everything it could to combat the flow of fentanyl. Public data shows that 0.2% of all fentanyl seized in the US comes from the Canadian border.
If tariffs were imposed, Canada would respond in kind, but its goal would always be to have the measures removed as quickly as possible, Trudeau told business and labor leaders at the beginning of the meeting on how to diversify trade and boost the economy.
“The strategic reflection we have to have right now is […] how we get through, and thrive, and grow stronger over the next four years and into what may be a more challenging long-term political situation with the United States?” he said.
Peter Navarro, a senior Trump trade adviser, this week said Canada had become a leading source of small, duty-free shipments of drugs, also had “big” visa issues, and had allowed people on the “terrorism watch list” to enter the United States.
Canada sends 75% of all its goods and services exports to the US, making it highly vulnerable to US sanctions.
Trudeau, echoing long-standing complaints from the business community, said internal trade barriers between the 10 provinces were hampering the economy.
“This is one of those moments and opportunities where […] there’s a window open because of the context we’re in. We have to jump through it,” he said.
