Washington D.C.- U.S. President Donald Trump made bold remarks about Canada during his address at the World Economic Forum in Davos, asserting that the United States no longer needs to rely on Canadian oil, gas, autos, or lumber.
“Canada has been very tough to deal with over the years,” Trump said on Thursday. “We don’t need them to make our cars, and they make a lot of them. We don’t need their lumber because we have our own forests. We don’t need their oil and gas; we have more than anybody.”
Trump also highlighted what he described as an imbalance in trade, saying, “We’re going to be demanding respect from other nations. Canada, we have a tremendous deficit with Canada. We’re not gonna have that anymore. As you probably know, I say you can always become a state. If you’re a state, we won’t have a deficit; we won’t have to tariff you.”
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau quickly responded to Trump’s comments, telling reporters that Canada would have a “strong, robust response” if trade tensions escalated. Trudeau also warned of economic consequences for American consumers.
“Prices for American consumers on just about everything will go up. I don’t think he wants that,” Trudeau said. He emphasized Canada’s role as a “reliable and trustworthy partner” and noted that if Trump aims to usher America into a golden age, “he will need more of the things that Canada is already sending them.”