Trudeau Slams Trump’s Talk of Annexing Canada as a Distraction from Tariff Threats

Torrento: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau dismissed U.S. President-elect Donald Trump‘s comments about possibly annexing Canada, calling it a strategic distraction from the real issue of proposed tariffs on Canadian goods.

In an interview with CNN on Wednesday, Trudeau responded to Trump’s remarks, made on Tuesday, suggesting that the U.S. could take economic force to acquire Canada. Trump’s comments came as part of a broader threat to impose 25% tariffs on all Canadian imports unless Canada strengthens its border security.

“What I think is happening in this is President Trump, who is a very skillful negotiator, is getting people to be somewhat distracted by that conversation,” Trudeau said. “The real impact of those tariffs would be far more significant.”

Trudeau outlined the potential consequences of such tariffs, which could significantly raise prices for American consumers. “Oil and gas and electricity and steel and aluminum and lumber and concrete and everything the American consumers buy from Canada (are) suddenly going to get a lot more expensive,” he warned.

The Prime Minister emphasized that Canada would retaliate if Trump followed through on the tariff threats, reiterating comments made earlier this week that there was “not a snowball’s chance in hell” that Canada would join the U.S. under any circumstances.

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Trudeau also recalled the trade dispute between the two nations in 2018, when Canada responded to U.S. tariffs by imposing levies on American goods such as Heinz ketchup, bourbon, and Harley Davidson motorcycles. “We don’t want to do that because it drives up prices for Canadians and harms our closest trading partner,” he explained, stressing the importance of maintaining strong relations with the U.S.

Despite the provocative nature of Trump’s rhetoric, Trudeau remained firm in his stance against any form of U.S. control over Canada, affirming the country’s sovereignty and commitment to defending its interests.