Trudeau says ‘not a snowball’s probability in hell’ Canada will be part of US

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has hit again at Donald Trump’s risk to make use of “financial drive” to soak up Canada into the US saying there is not “a snowball’s probability in hell” to affix the 2.

President-elect Trump has in latest weeks repeatedly needled Canada about it changing into the 51st US state.

“You do away with that artificially drawn line, and also you check out what that appears like, and it might even be significantly better for nationwide safety,” Trump stated at a press convention at his Florida Mar-a Lago dwelling on Tuesday.

“Canada and the USA, that might actually be one thing.”

Trump reiterated his risk to herald a “substantial” tariff on Canadian items except the nation took steps to extend safety on the shared US border.

The continuing tariff risk comes at a politically difficult time for Canada.

On Monday, an embattled Trudeau introduced he was resigning, although he’ll keep on as prime minister till the governing Liberals elect a brand new chief, anticipated someday by late March.

Canada’s parliament has been prorogued – or suspended – till 24 March to permit time for the management race.

Economists warn that if Trump follows by means of on imposing the tariffs after he’s inaugurated on 20 January, it might considerably harm Canada’s financial system.

Virtually C$3.6bn ($2.5bn) value of products and companies crossed the border day by day in 2023, in keeping with Canadian authorities figures.

The Trudeau authorities has stated it’s contemplating imposing counter-tariffs if Trump follows by means of on the risk.

The prime minister additionally stated on X on Tuesday that: “Employees and communities in each our nations profit from being one another’s largest buying and selling and safety accomplice.”

Throughout his prolonged Mar-a-Lago press convention, Trump reiterated his issues he has expressed about medication crossing the borders of Mexico and Canada into the US.

Like Canada, Mexico faces a 25% tariff risk.

The quantity of fentanyl seized on the US-Canada border is considerably decrease than on the southern border, in keeping with US knowledge.

Canada has promised to implement a set of sweeping new safety measures alongside the border, together with strengthened surveillance and including a joint “strike drive” to focus on transnational organised crime.

Trump stated on Tuesday he was not contemplating utilizing navy drive to make Canada a part of the USA, however raised issues about its neighbour’s navy spending.

“They’ve a really small navy. They depend on our navy. It is all advantageous, however, , they obtained to pay for that. It is very unfair,” he stated.

Canada has been beneath stress to extend its navy spending because it continues to fall wanting the goal set out for Nato members.

Its defence finances presently stands at C$27bn ($19.8bn, £15.5bn), although the Trudeau authorities has promised that it’s going to increase spending to virtually C$50bn by 2030.

British Columbia Premier David Eby advised a information convention on Tuesday that plenty of Canadian provincial premiers will quickly be travelling to Washington DC to foyer towards the doable tariffs.

On Monday, Doug Ford, the chief of Canada’s most populous province Ontario, stated Trudeau should spend his remaining weeks in workplace working with the provinces to deal with Trump’s risk.

“The premiers are main the nation proper now,” he advised BBC Information in an interview.

Ontario has a deep reliance on commerce with the US. The province is on the coronary heart of the extremely built-in auto trade in Canada, and commerce between Ontario and the US totalled greater than C$493bn ($350bn) in 2023.

“My message is let’s work collectively, let’s construct a stronger commerce relationship – not weaken it,” Ford stated.

The premier warned “we are going to retaliate laborious” if the Trump administration follows by means of, and highlighted the shut financial ties between the 2 nations, together with on vitality.

The US depends “on Ontario for his or her electrical energy. We hold the lights on to 1,000,000 and a half properties and companies within the US”, he stated.

At a press convention early this week, Ford additionally pushed again on Trump’s 51st state feedback.

“I am going to make him a counter-offer. How about if we purchase Alaska and we throw in Minneapolis and Minnesota on the identical time?” Ford stated.