Toronto/CMEDIA: In response reportedly to the threat of the US Pres Donald Trump to impose debilitating tariffs on Canada if it “makes a deal with China,” Canada’s PM Mark Carney says that it has “no intention” of pursuing a free trade agreement with China.
“What we’ve done with China is to rectify some issues that have developed in the last couple of years,” Carney told reporters Sunday morning in Ottawa, referring to trade items like Chinese-made electric vehicles (EVs), agriculture and fish products.
Continuing to argue on his Truth Social account, Trump said “China is successfully and completely taking over the once Great Country of Canada. So sad to see it happen.”
Coming one day after Trump’s post of threat to impose a 100 percent tariff on all Canadian goods entering the US if Canada “makes a deal with China,” the US president did not specify what a “deal” is in his social media post.
“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,” the U.S. president wrote in his post — referring to the prime minister as governor, a jab he often reserved for Carney’s predecessor, Justin Trudeau.
“China will eat Canada alive, completely devour it, including the destruction of their businesses, social fabric, and general way of life,” Trump said.
Trump’s latest threat is a departure from his initial comments after Canada struck the agreement with China. He appeared calmer and said last week the agreement is a “good thing.”
“That’s what [Carney] should be doing. It’s a good thing for him to sign a trade deal. If you can get a deal with China, you should do that,” Trump told reporters at the White House at the time.
Carney’s speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, where he said “American hegemony” and “great powers” are using economic integration as “weapons,” escalated the tensions between Trump and Canada.
In his own speech, Trump criticized Carney’s comments and said “Canada lives because of the United States. Remember that, Mark, the next time you make your statements.”
