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Washington: US President Donald Trump on Saturday issued a sharp warning to Canada and Prime Minister Mark Carney against pursuing economic agreements with China, threatening steep trade penalties if Ottawa moves ahead with such deals.
Referring to the Canadian Prime Minister as “Governor,” Trump said the United States would impose a 100 per cent tariff on Canadian goods should Ottawa deepen trade ties with Beijing.
In a post on Truth Social, he wrote, “If Governor Carney thinks he is going to make Canada a ‘Drop Off Port’ for China to send goods and products into the United States, he is sorely mistaken.”
Escalating his criticism, Trump added, “China will eat Canada alive, completely devour it, including the destruction of their businesses, social fabric, and general way of life. If Canada makes a deal with China, it will immediately be hit with a 100% Tariff against all Canadian goods and products coming into the USA. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
The remarks followed an earlier attack by Trump on Canada, in which he accused Ottawa of opposing his proposed “Golden Dome” missile defence system over Greenland while simultaneously expanding economic engagement with China.
“Canada is against The Golden Dome being built over Greenland, even though The Golden Dome would protect Canada,” Trump said, adding, “Instead, they voted in favor of doing business with China, who will ‘eat them up’ within the first year!”
Trump’s comments came in the wake of Carney’s recent visit to Beijing, aimed at reviving economic cooperation with China, Canada’s second-largest trading partner after the United States. During the visit, Carney also criticised US and Western policies while addressing the World Economic Forum in Davos.
The China trip resulted in an understanding to lower tariffs on certain Canadian agricultural exports and introduce quotas on Chinese electric vehicles entering the Canadian market. The framework could also open the door to increased Chinese investment in Canada.
Marking the first visit by a Canadian leader to China in nearly a decade, the talks were described by both sides as reflecting a changing global environment, with Chinese Premier Xi Jinping welcoming what he termed a “turnaround” in bilateral relations.
Speaking earlier about the agreement, Carney appeared to allude to ongoing trade frictions with Washington, describing Canada’s recent engagement with China as more “predictable” and characterising discussions with Beijing as “realistic and respectful.” (ANI)
