Trudeau Says Trump Talk of Annexing Canada Is a Distraction Tactic

Canadian PM Criticizes Proposed U.S. Tariffs and Pledges Countermeasures if Economic Threats Escalate

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Wednesday stated that U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s talk of possibly annexing Canada was a tactic designed to distract people from the potential impact of his proposed tariffs.

Trump, who has stated he will impose a 25% tariff on all Canadian imports unless Ottawa enhances border security, also mentioned considering economic force to acquire Canada.

“What I think is happening here is President Trump, who is a very skilled negotiator, is getting people distracted by that conversation,” Trudeau told CNN when asked about Trump’s remarks.

He further explained: “Oil, gas, electricity, steel, aluminum, lumber, and concrete—everything American consumers buy from Canada—will suddenly become a lot more expensive if he moves forward with these tariffs.”

Trudeau reiterated that Canada would never become part of the U.S. and would impose countermeasures if Trump followed through on his threats. He recalled that during a 2018 trade dispute, Canada imposed tariffs on products such as Heinz ketchup, playing cards, bourbon, and Harley Davidson motorcycles to hurt American workers.

He added: “But we don’t want to do that because it raises prices for Canadians and harms our closest trading partner.”