United States President Donald Trump has described Canada as one of the worst countries in the entire world as a trade dispute between the two longtime allies continues to strain relations.
Trump made the remark on Monday while speaking at the White House, accusing Canada of treating the US unfairly and claiming that Ottawa imposes tariffs of 400 per cent or more on some American agricultural products.
“They want to have a deal with us. They call us all the time. According to Mediaite. “The problem is, they have treated the United States very unfairly. They have been one of the worst countries in the entire world,” Trump said.
The US president also accused Canada of taking advantage of Washington, pointing to the two countries’ trade relationship as well as US support for Canada in areas including defence.
Trump said he expected Ottawa to eventually return to Washington seeking an agreement, predicting that Canadian officials would ask for the removal of tariffs within the next few weeks.
“I think what’s going to happen is, over the next three or four weeks, they’re going to come to us and they’re going to say, ‘We need to get rid of all the tariffs,’” he said.
“We’re going to win everything,” Trump added, insisting that any eventual agreement must be “a fair deal.”
The remarks came as Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney seeks to broaden his country’s economic and strategic partnerships amid deteriorating relations with Washington.
Canada and the European Union have been pursuing closer cooperation in areas including trade, defence, energy, artificial intelligence and critical minerals. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has also proposed making Canada the bloc’s first “associate member.”
Canada is not seeking full membership of the European Union but is looking to expand its economic and security partnerships beyond the United States.
The trade dispute between Washington and Ottawa has escalated in recent months, with both countries imposing tariffs on billions of dollars worth of goods. Canada introduced retaliatory tariffs after the US imposed new duties on Canadian products.
Trump’s latest comments came days after US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said the administration saw no urgency in reaching a settlement with Canada, despite the worsening trade dispute.