Trudeau lambasts Trump’s idea of forcing Canada to become a US state

OTTAWA: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Tuesday dismissed a suggestion by US President-elect Donald Trump that he might use “economic force” to make Canada the 51st US state.

“There isn’t a snowball’s chance in hell that Canada would become part of the United States,” he said in a post on X.

Read more: After Canada and Panama, Trump goes for Greenland next

“Workers and communities in both our countries benefit from being each other’s biggest trading and security partner.”

Trump, speaking in Mar-a-Lago, was asked if he was considering using military force to acquire Canada.

“No, economic force,” he responded. “Because Canada and the United States, that would really be something.”

Trump, who has long complained about Canada’s trade surplus with the US, had earlier told reporters the border was an “artificially drawn line.”

Trump has threatened to impose a 25 per cent tariff on imports from Canada, which sends 75 per cent of all goods and services exports south of the border.

Read more: Trump vows new Canada, Mexico, China tariffs that threaten global trade

Earlier on Tuesday, Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said Trump’s comments “show a complete lack of understanding of what makes Canada a strong country … We will never back down in the face of threats.”