US President Joe Biden heaped praises on neighbouring Canada’s role as an ally and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau amid repeated threats from Donald Trump to levy tariffs on Ottawa’s exports if it does not join the US as its “51st state”.
“The last time I visited Ottawa, I said that the United States chooses to link our future with Canada because we know that we’ll find no better ally, no closer partner, and no steadier friend. The same can be said of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau,” Joe Biden said in a post on X.
“The U.S.-Canada alliance is stronger because of him. The American and Canadian people are safer because of him. And the world is better off because of him. I am proud to call him my friend. And I will be forever grateful for his partnership and leadership,” the post added.
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Trump vows to use ‘economic force’
Since his presidential election win, US President-elect Trump has repeatedly called for Canada to join the US federation as its 51st state. Donald Trump been belittling Justin Trudeau as a “governor”, promising large tax cuts for Canadian businesses if their country chose to join the US.
Trump’s eyesore has been Canada’s trade surplus with Washington. According to statistics released by the Canadian government, US is the only country with which it enjoyed a widening trade surplus in November 2024. “Exports to the United States rose 6.8% in November, while imports increased 4.1%. As a result, Canada’s trade surplus with the United States widened from $6.6 billion in October to $8.2 billion in November,” the report said.
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On Tuesday, Trump said he would rely on “economic force” rather than military aggression against Canada.
Canadian foreign minister Mélanie Joly hit back at Trump’s plans in a post on X. “President-elect Trump’s comments show a complete lack of understanding of what makes Canada a strong country. Our economy is strong. Our people are strong. We will never back down in the face of threats,” she said.
Trudeau also ruled out any chances of a merger with the US in a post on X. “There isn’t a snowball’s chance in hell that Canada would become part of the United States. Workers and communities in both our countries benefit from being each other’s biggest trading and security partner,” he said.
(With AP inputs)
