The Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, has expressed his concern over the threat from U.S. President Donald Trump to annex Canada, calling it a real issue. During the Canada-U.S. Economic Summit in Toronto, Trudeau mentioned that this potential annexation would be motivated by access to the country’s critical minerals.
Trudeau pointed out that Trump is interested in Canada’s critical mineral resources and that this could be one of the reasons behind the annexation threat. The Prime Minister made these comments after his inaugural speech at the summit, where he outlined the key challenges in the trade relationship between Canada and the United States.
In response to the tariffs imposed by the Trump administration last week, Canada also applied tariffs on U.S. goods worth 155 billion Canadian dollars. Subsequently, both nations agreed to pause the proposed tariffs for at least 30 days.
Trudeau mentioned the importance of having a tactical response to tariff threats in the short term and establishing a strategy to deal with a less cooperative United States in the long term. In response to Trump’s claim that Canada should become the 51st state of the United States to avoid high tariffs, Trudeau commented: "Trump thinks the easiest way to do this is to absorb our country, and that is something real."
