U.S. President Donald Trump mentioned he’ll formally announce 25 per cent tariffs on all metal and aluminum imports on Monday, together with for Canada and Mexico.
Trump made the feedback on a press convention aboard Air Drive 1 as he travelled to New Orleans to observe the Super Bowl between the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles.
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the press aboard Air Drive One enroute to New Orleans, La., on Feb. 9, 2025.
Roberto Schmidt / AFP through Getty Photographs
Trump imposed metal and aluminum tariffs at 25 and 10 per cent respectively throughout his first time period in March 2018 utilizing nationwide safety as justification.
Canada was initially given an exemption to those duties, however was in the end hit by the tariffs on Might 31, 2018. Canada responded with a collection of counter-tariffs on American merchandise like Florida orange juice.
Almost a 12 months later, on Might 17, 2019, the White Home introduced a deal had been reached to stop “surges” within the metal and aluminum provides from Canada and Mexico, ending the commerce dispute.
Fox Information aired a partial interview with Trump forward of that recreation, the place he mentioned needs to see Canada turn out to be a state because of the unsubstantiated declare that the States is “paying $200 billion a 12 months” to its northern neighbour.
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Trump says that Canada would be “much better off” as a state, and mentioned he’d be effective with “subsidizing” Canada if it was a state, an obvious reference to the U.S. commerce deficit with Canada.
Statistics Canada says Canada’s general commerce surplus with the U.S. was $94.4 billion in 2023, primarily as a result of oil exports.
Trump made the assertion in response to a query from Fox Information anchor Bret Baier in an interview televised Sunday.
Baier requested Trump about Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s feedback Friday, the place Trudeau instructed a gaggle on enterprise leaders that Trump shouldn’t be joking about making Canada a state.
“I believe Canada could be much better off being a 51st state as a result of we lose $200 billion a 12 months to Canada, and I’m not going to let that occur,” Trump instructed Baier.
“It’s an excessive amount of. Why are we paying $200 billion a 12 months primarily in subsidy to Canada? Now, in the event that they’re a 51st state I don’t thoughts doing it.”
On Friday, Trudeau instructed a crowd of greater than 100 enterprise leaders at a Canada-U.S. financial summit in Toronto that Trump’s feedback about making Canada a state are “a real thing.”
His feedback about Trump had been made behind closed doors after reporters had been ushered out of the room. The Toronto Star was in a position to hear what Trudeau was saying as a result of the audio was inadvertently broadcast.
Trump initially threatened to impose 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian merchandise as a result of border safety points round fentanyl and unlawful immigration, however the president’s feedback proceed to deal with commerce with Canada and extra just lately a perceived lack of U.S. banks in Canada.
Border points stay the official justification for threatening tariffs, in response to the chief order.
On Feb. 3, each Canada and Mexico had been granted at the very least 30 days reprieves from the menace being realized after each Trudeau and Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum talked to Trump about their respective border plans.
Canada’s plan contains $1.3 billion in spending, first introduced in December, on enhanced border safety, together with patrols with helicopters, and the creation of a “fentanyl czar”, who will work with U.S. counterparts in combating the poisonous drug disaster.
© 2025 The Canadian Press
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