US President Donald Trump on Sunday renewed his criticism of Canada as trade tensions between the neighbouring countries intensified following the collapse of negotiations.
“Canada wants the benefits of being a State, without being one!!!” Trump wrote on Truth Social, reviving his previous rhetoric about Canada becoming part of the United States.
Trump also accused Ottawa of imposing steep tariffs on American agricultural products, declaring: “They have also charged our great farmers, for many years, massive amounts of Tariffs. No more!!!”
His comments came after Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced dollar-for-dollar retaliatory tariffs on US goods beginning September 8, following the imposition of new 50% US tariffs on around $20 billion worth of Canadian imports.
Carney accused Washington of attempting to “hurt and divide” Canada and described the latest US measures as a miscalculation.
Canada has also suspended trade negotiations with Washington, saying US demands had become unacceptable. US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, however, blamed Ottawa for the breakdown, maintaining that Canada walked away from an agreement that was close to completion.
The latest exchange marks a further deterioration in US-Canada trade relations, with both governments now moving ahead with significant tariffs on each other’s goods.