US President Donald Trump has imposed new import tariffs on Canada, further escalating the trade war between the two countries.
Trump initially introduced tariffs against Canada under the guise of protecting the nation's national security. At that time, he accused Canadian border agents of being indifferent to drug smuggling and the flow of illegal migrants.
In response, the Canadian government declared that it would not succumb to Trump's pressure. President Trump delayed the tariffs by a month in an attempt to negotiate, but Canada did not back down from its independence. Consequently, the US imposed a 25% tariff on all Canadian products.
Of the Canadian provinces, only Ontario responded to these restrictions: the province imposed a 25% tariff on electric power exported to the US states of Minnesota, New York, and Michigan. This infuriated Trump.
In response to Canada's Ontario tariff as an attempt to pressure the US, Trump wrote on his TruthSocial page:
"We give Canada more than 200 billion dollars each year. Why? This cannot continue! Canada should be our 51st state!" — he wrote.
He made a harsh statement about Canada, emphasizing that this situation will be recorded in history books:
"Canada has stooped to such a low level, turning electricity into a weapon against the US. They will pay such a significant economic price that it will be written about in history books for years to come!" — he said.
As a response, President Trump decided to increase tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from Canada to 50% starting March 12. Additionally, he announced the introduction of new tariffs that would hit the Canadian auto industry hard from April 2.
Furthermore, if Canada does not remove tariffs on US dairy products, Trump threatened to impose additional tariffs on Canadian cars and halt auto manufacturing in the country.
Meanwhile, Trump also declared Canadian lumber unnecessary for the US. He promised to lift restrictions on logging in US forests and for America to use its timber.
Canadians started to take unique countermeasures as well. Several local stores displayed signs reading: “Sorry, we no longer accept US currency.”
In addition, the US government is planning to introduce new restrictions for Canadian citizens. Now, if Canadians stay in the US for 30 days or more, they will be required to officially register.
NBC News has revealed Trump's main plan regarding Canada:
"Trump is serious about Canada and intends firmly to make it the 51st state."
These events show that the trade war is taking not only an economic but also a political turn. The relation between the two countries is expected to become even more strained in the coming weeks.
Abdulloh Sayyid
