Trump Threatens EU With Tariffs if Canada Becomes an Associate Member: “A Hostile Act”

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump threatened on Wednesday to impose “very serious” tariffs on the European Union — or to cut off trade with Europe “on many things” — if the bloc admits Canada as an associate member, calling the proposal “ridiculous” and Canada a “terrible trade partner.”

Trump told reporters that if the EU decision, “if I consider it even remotely a hostile act, I will impose very serious tariffs or stop trade with Europe on many things.” He conditioned the threat on “intent”: “If it is good intent, it’s fine. If it is bad intent, we will impose very heavy tariffs on Europe.”

The comments came after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposed on Wednesday, during her annual address to the European Parliament — with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney in attendance — that Canada become the EU’s first “associate” member, to deepen cooperation between democracies in what she called “an openly hostile world.” The Wall Street Journal recently reported that Canadian and European officials were discussing associate membership — an entirely new category of relationship with the bloc; Canada’s full EU membership is not an option.

U.S.–Canada relations have grown very tense in recent weeks. Trump has signed orders to ban the import of dairy products, alcoholic beverages and motorcycles from Canada in the coming weeks, in retaliation for Canadian tariffs. He also modified the 50% tariffs on Canada: removing taxes on cement, road salt and some hospital products, but imposing 50% tariffs on ATVs, boats and cheeses. U.S.–Canada trade talks collapsed in late August; Trump then signed an order renaming Lake Ontario “Lake America.”

Canada is locked in a trade war with the U.S., its largest trading partner, and Carney is seeking closer alliances with Europe.

Source: The Wall Street Journal