President Donald Trump warned he will impose additional tariffs against both Canada and the European Union if they collaborate in any manner that causes economic harm to the U.S., a threat that comes just days after the new Canadian Prime Minister, Mark Carney, traveled to France and the U.K.
Key facts
In a post on his Truth Social platform early on Thursday, Trump wrote that “large scale tariffs, far larger than currently planned,” will be placed on the EU and Canada if they work together to “do economic harm to the USA.”
Trump said the goal of his tariff threat was to “protect the best friend that each of those two countries has ever had!”
The president’s post was made just hours after he signed an order to impose 25% tariffs on all cars and trucks imported into the U.S.
Shortly before the EU and Canada post, Trump once again touted the so-called “LIBERATION DAY IN AMERICA,” a phrase he has been using to describe his plans to impose reciprocal tariffs against other countries on April 2.
In the all-caps post, the president wrote: “FOR YEARS WE HAVE BEEN RIPPED OFF BY VIRTUALLY EVERY COUNTRY IN THE WORLD, BOTH FRIEND AND FOE…BUT THOSE DAYS ARE OVER.”
What do we know about Canada’s overtures towards Europe?
Last week, just days after being sworn into office, Carney traveled to France for his first international trip and met with French President Emmanuel Macron. During a joint press conference, Carney described Canada as “the most European of non-European countries,” and said he wants to make sure that “France and the whole of Europe work enthusiastically with Canada.” After France, Carney traveled to the U.K. and met with the British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and the country’s monarch, King Charles, who is also Canada’s head of state. During a press conference in London, Carney criticized Trump’s comments about making Canada the 51st state, saying: “They're disrespectful, they're not helpful and they need to stop before any conversation about our broader partnership with the United States.”
What has Carney said about Trump’s 25% tariffs on cars?
Carney criticized Trump’s latest tariffs on imported cars and trucks, as automobiles are a key export for Canada. “This is a very direct attack…We will defend our workers, we will defend our companies, we will defend our country,” Carney told reporters on Wednesday.
This article was written by Siladitya Ray from Forbes and was legally licensed through the DiveMarketplace by Industry Dive. Please direct all licensing questions to legal@industrydive.com. Icon Sportswire / Contributor via Getty Images