Trump threatens 100% tariff on Canada over potential China trade deal

US President Donald Trump has threatened to impose a 100 percent tariff on Canadian imports if Canada moves forward with implementing a trade deal with China.

In a statement posted on social media platform Truth Social on Saturday, January 24, Trump warned Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney that allowing China to use Canada as a route to export cheap goods into the United States would be a serious mistake.

Trump said that if Canada signs a trade agreement with China, the United States will immediately impose a 100 percent tariff on all Canadian products entering the US market.

In the statement, Trump referred to the Canadian leader as “Governor Carney” instead of prime minister. Since returning to office for a second term, Trump has repeatedly referred to Canada as the 51st state of the United States.

Meanwhile, Canada–US trade minister Dominic LeBlanc wrote on microblogging platform X on Saturday that Canada is not rushing to sign a free trade agreement with China. He said the recent agreement with China mainly addressed several key tariff-related issues.

The minister added that Canada’s new government is working to strengthen the national economy, with a focus on expanding both domestic and international trade partnerships.

Donald Trump assumed office for a second term as US president in January last year. Even before taking office, he had threatened to impose tariffs on Canadian goods and had publicly urged Canada to become the 51st state of the United States.