Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said at an economic summit last Friday that the United States (U.S.) President Donald Trump is serious about his intention to annex Canada in order to gain access to its natural resources, while his government stated that the country’s sovereignty is unquestionable.
Trudeau convened a summit of business and labor leaders to coordinate a response to Trump’s impending threat of imposing a 25% tariff on all Canadian imports, which could paralyze Canada’s economy.
In statements made behind closed doors, Trudeau told a group of executives that for Trump, “annexing Canada” is “a real thing,” according to reports from multiple Canadian media outlets.
“I suggest that the Trump administration not only knows how many critical minerals we have, but that this could also be the reason why they keep talking about absorbing us and making us the 51st state,” he said.
The comments, made after the media had left the room, were heard through speakers outside the hall and were recorded by Canadian media.
“They are very aware of our resources, what we have, and they very much want to benefit from it,” he added.
“But Mr. Trump believes that one of the easiest ways to achieve that is by absorbing our country. And that is real.”
Asked about Trudeau’s comments on the sidelines of the summit and whether Ottawa considers Trump’s annexation threat serious, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry of Canada Francois-Philippe Champagne said: “No one can question Canada’s sovereignty.”
“Our U.S. friends understand that they need Canada for their economic security, they need it for their energy security, and they need it for their national security,” he said.
Responding to reporters’ questions about Trudeau’s remarks, Minister of Transport and Internal Trade Anita Anand said that Canada is determined to resist any U.S. expansionism.
“There will be no messing with the 49th parallel, period,” she said, referring to the border between the U.S. and Canada.
Trump has repeatedly mocked Canadian sovereignty since winning the election in November.
He regularly refers to Canada as “the 51st state” and belittles Trudeau by calling him a “governor” instead of a prime minister.
Trump has also described the multibillion-dollar daily bilateral trade as a U.S. subsidy and claimed, without evidence, that Canada would not be a “viable country” without it.
His tariffs were set to take effect on Tuesday, but Trump granted Canada a 30-day delay for further negotiations.
He said the tariffs were necessary to force Canada to act on the flow of fentanyl and migrants – neither of which is actually a significant issue at the border – but also complained about trade deficits.
In his opening remarks at the summit, Trudeau said that Ottawa would continue working to address Trump’s concerns about fentanyl and migrants, even though Canada is not a significant factor in either of those issues in the U.S.
However, beyond the immediate tariff threat, Trudeau said that Canada should be prepared for “perhaps a more challenging long-term political situation with the U.S.”
