Trump Threatens 100% Tariff on Canada Over China Ties
Trump warns Ottawa it will face sweeping tariffs if it deepens trade engagement with China, accusing Canada of enabling Beijing to bypass US trade barriers.
Canada | PUREWILAYAH.COM — US President Donald Trump has threatened to impose a 100% tariff on all Canadian goods entering the United States if Ottawa proceeds with a trade agreement with China, openly framing Canada as a subordinate actor expected to align with Washington’s economic war against Beijing.
The warning underscores the increasingly coercive nature of US trade policy, as Washington seeks to discipline allies that refuse to fully submit to American strategic and economic dictates.
Trump Issues Tariff Threat via Social Media
In a post on his Truth Social platform on Saturday, Trump declared that any Canadian agreement with China would trigger immediate punitive measures.
“If Canada makes a deal with China, it will immediately be hit with a 100% Tariff against all Canadian goods and products coming into the USA,” Trump wrote.
Trump accused Beijing of attempting to use Canada as a conduit to bypass US trade barriers, framing Ottawa as a potential proxy rather than a sovereign trading partner.
Trump Targets Canadian Prime Minister
Trump personally targeted Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, using derisive language and repeating his claim that Canada should be absorbed by the United States.
“If Governor Carney thinks he is going to make Canada a ‘Drop Off Port’ for China to send goods and products into the United States, he is sorely mistaken,” Trump said.
The remarks reflect Washington’s increasingly open contempt for Canadian sovereignty and its expectation of political obedience from allied governments.
Canada–China Engagement Triggers US Hostility
Earlier this month, Carney traveled to China to stabilize strained relations and reached what Canadian officials described as a preliminary agreement or strategic partnership, aimed at easing specific trade barriers rather than establishing a full free-trade agreement.
The move immediately drew hostility from Washington, which has consistently sought to block any independent economic engagement between its allies and Beijing.
Trade Pressure as a Weapon
Trump has repeatedly used tariffs and tariff threats as tools of economic coercion, including against Canada. His administration has already imposed multiple duties on Canadian exports, and although talks last year aimed at easing some levies, negotiations collapsed.
Trump has since reiterated that he is prepared to escalate economic pressure, even as no new tariffs have yet formally taken effect.
US–Canada Tensions Deepen Over Greenland and Global Order
Relations between Washington and Ottawa have further deteriorated following Carney’s public criticism of Trump’s pursuit of Greenland, which the US president has repeatedly claimed should become American territory.
Speaking earlier this month at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Carney warned that the so-called rules-based global order had collapsed, stating that “middle powers must act together because if you are not at the table, you are on the menu.”
Trump responded dismissively during his own Davos address, claiming that Canada “lives because of the United States,” a statement Carney openly rejected.
Trump Escalates Diplomatic Retaliation
Following the exchange, Trump disinvited Carney from his proposed “Board of Peace,” a body he claims would address international conflicts, further underscoring Washington’s use of exclusion and pressure to enforce political compliance.
Trump’s latest tariff threat highlights Washington’s broader strategy of economic intimidation, not only against adversaries but also against allies that pursue independent foreign and trade policies.
As the United States intensifies its confrontation with China, Canada has become the latest target of Washington’s demand for absolute alignment — under threat of economic punishment. (PW)