Donald Trump has threatened to hit the European Union with “serious tariffs”, and even stop trading, over their proposal to make Canada its first “associate member.”
This week, the president of the European Commission backed plans for Canada to become the EU’s first “associate member.”
Speaking to the European Parliament on Wednesday, von der Leyen said she wanted to work on “opening the door” for Canada.
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This came after Canadian prime minister Mark Carney had said he was seeking a “unique alliance” between Canada and the EU.
Von der Leyen said the EU and Canada would work to create “a common prosperity and economic security space,” and cooperate in key sectors such as tech, energy, and minerals.
For some reason, Trump seems confused as to why the EU and Canada would want to forge closer ties away from the US after months of him hitting them with trade tariffs and making territorial threats towards them.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday night, Trump angrily said the EU’s proposal to Canada was a “hostile act,” and threatened to “put very serious tariffs or stop trading with Europe on many things.”
He continued: “And so if they do that, if Europe does that with a bad intention, if it’s a good intention, that’s fine. If it’s a bad intention, we’ll put very heavy tariffs on Europe.”
Trump’s comments were of course evidence for exactly why the EU and Canada have decided to try and create their own special relationship without the US.
Whether it’s by threatening to invade Greenland, talking about making Canada the ’51st state’ or starting trade wars (and real wars), Trump is the reason two of America’s closest allies historically are shunning the nation now.