Former President Donald Trump stated on Wednesday that Canada "will not continue to exist" without the United States, comments made just days before the Canadian elections, which have been dominated by Trump's remarks on the country's economy and sovereignty.
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Trump reinserted himself into the Canadian elections during a signing ceremony in the Oval Office, saying that Canada "would stop existing as a country" without the United States purchasing goods from it. He added, "I have to be honest, as a country, it works really well." He had previously threatened to make Canada the 51st U.S. state through economic pressure.
Trump reiterated that the U.S. does not need anything from Canada, including cars and oil. He also added, "We don’t really want Canada to make cars for us, to be honest. We want to make our own cars."
In recent weeks, Trump has downplayed his talk of making Canada the 51st state and stopped mentioning it after a call with Prime Minister Mark Carney last month. On Wednesday, Trump also indicated he might increase tariffs on car imports from Canada.
The U.S. President imposed a 25% tariff on cars, though there are some exceptions related to the USMCA (United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement), and car manufacturers are seeking other policy changes to reduce the burden of tariffs.
