Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney rejected United States President Donald Trump’s latest threat to impose 100% tariffs on the country over potential trade deals with China.
In a video post on the docile media platform X (formerly known as Twitter), Carney urged citizens to “Buy Canadian,” adding that Canada will “focus on what we can control.”
The move is seen as a major shift for Canada’s economy, which focuses on local businesses rather than international trade.
What did Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney say?
Prime Minister Carney has warned that Canada’s economy is currently under “threat from abroad” and advocated a strategy to make the country its own “best customer”.
“With our economy threatened from abroad. Canadians have made a decision: focus on what we can control,” Carney said.
He went on to add, “We can’t control what other nations do. We can be our own best customers. We will buy Canadian. We will build Canadian. We will build stronger together.”
Why did Donald Trump threaten Canada with 100% tariffs?
Carney’s message comes amid escalating transnational tensions, particularly over North American trade relations and Canada’s reach into Asia.
Trump on Saturday warned Canada and its Prime Minister Mark Carney against pursuing economic deals with China and threatened tough trade sanctions if Ottawa moves forward with such deals.
Trump called Canada’s prime minister a “governor” and said the United States would impose 100 percent tariffs on Canadian goods if Ottawa deepened trade ties with Beijing.
In a post on Truth Social, he wrote, “If Governor Carney thinks he’s going to make Canada a ‘Drop Off Port’ for China to ship goods and products to the United States, he’s sorely mistaken.”
Escalating his criticism, Trump added: “China will eat Canada alive, swallow it up completely, including destroying their businesses, social fabric and general way of life. If Canada makes a deal with China, they will immediately be slapped with 100% tariffs on all Canadian goods and products coming into the US. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
The remarks followed Trump’s earlier attack on Canada, in which he accused Ottawa of opposing his proposed “Golden Dome” missile defense system over Greenland while expanding economic ties with China.
“Canada opposes a Gold Dome being built over Greenland, even though the Gold Dome would protect Canada,” Trump said, adding, “Instead they voted for trade with China, which will ‘eat’ them within the first year!”
Trump’s comments followed Carney’s recent visit to Beijing aimed at reviving economic cooperation with China, Canada’s second-largest trading partner after the United States. During the visit, Carney also criticized American and Western policies while speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
The trip to China resulted in an understanding of reduced tariffs on some Canadian agricultural exports and the imposition of quotas on Chinese electric vehicles entering the Canadian market. The framework could also open the door to increased Chinese investment in Canada.
Speaking earlier about the deal, Carney appeared to allude to ongoing trade friction with Washington, calling Canada’s recent dealings with China “more predictable” and characterizing those with Beijing as “realistic and respectful.”
Key things
- Emphasizing local consumption can boost national economies amid global trade tensions.
- Political leaders can influence public opinion and economic strategy through clear messages.
- International trade relations can influence domestic politics and lead to shifts in economic focus.
