7th Jan: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau firmly rejected the idea of Canada merging with the United States in response to comments made by U.S. president-elect Donald Trump. On Tuesday, Trudeau reiterated his government’s stance, stating, “There isn’t a snowball’s chance in hell that Canada would become part of the United States.”
Trudeau shared his response on X (formerly Twitter), emphasizing the benefits of the two countries maintaining their distinct identities. “Workers and communities in both our countries benefit from being each other’s biggest trading and security partner,” he wrote.
Trump, speaking at a news conference in Palm Beach, Florida, floated the idea of using “economic force” to absorb Canada into the U.S. “You get rid of the artificially drawn line, and it would be better for national security,” Trump said. However, he admitted he had no legal authority to annex Canada.
Trump criticized American spending on Canadian goods, naming industries like automotive, lumber, and dairy as areas where the U.S. could reduce reliance on its northern neighbor. In 2022, the U.S. imported over $614 billion (CAD) in goods from Canada, including significant amounts of oil and petroleum products.
Trump also reiterated his plan to impose substantial tariffs on Canadian and Mexican imports unless both countries enhance border security. During his campaign, Trump did not propose merging Canada with the U.S., but he has spoken favorably in the past about the idea of Canada becoming “the 51st state.”
With less than two weeks until Trump takes office, Trudeau’s remarks make it clear that Canada has no intention of pursuing such a drastic change to its sovereignty.
