Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau reportedly told business leaders Friday that President Trump may be serious about annexing Canada because he wants to control the nation’s natural resources.
His remarks came at a private meeting at an economic summit his office hosted in Toronto with labor and business groups to talk about what Canada’s economy should do next in light of the possibility of a trade war with Washington.
Trump’s remarks about Canada being the 51st state were previously downplayed by Trudeau and other high-ranking Canadian officials, who claimed it was mostly a joke and an attempt to embarrass Canada.
Trudeau stated that he didn’t think Trump was kidding about wanting to annex Canada, and he implied that it might have something to do with the nation’s oil and mineral resources, according to those who attended the closed-door remarks.
Because conference organizers were unaware that the prime minister’s microphone was still on, the Toronto Star’s reporter overheard Trudeau’s comments. After Trudeau’s planned opening statements, media outlets were instructed to exit the room, and Trudeau was now responding to questions from labor and business groups.
A request for comment was not immediately answered by a Trudeau spokesman.
In his introductory remarks, Trudeau stated that it was time for business executives and legislators to talk about how to strengthen the economy.
Starting on February 4, Trump had threatened to impose a 25% tariff on all nonenergy imports from Canada and a 10% tariff on energy imports that include vital minerals unless Ottawa strengthened border security and discouraged the trafficking of fentanyl.
Canada now has until early March to demonstrate progress on the border front in order to avoid heavy tariffs after the United States granted it a 30-day respite from a 25% tariff this week.
Along with criticizing the trade disparity between the United States and Canada, Trump has considered using economic pressure to force Canada to become the 51st state.
The leaders of Canada’s provinces, Trudeau, and his political opponents have condemned Trump’s threats and turned down any offer to join the union as the 51st state.
Since both chambers of the federal parliament and the provincial legislatures would need to approve it, legal experts think that Canada’s joining the United States would be all but impossible.
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