Before Donald Trump came along, Canada and the United States were the best of friends.
While the two nations got off to a rocky start during the War of 1812, America and Canada became staunch allies in the 20th Century, officially tying the alliance knot with the Ogdensburg Agreement during World War II. According to the U.S. Department of State, Canada is currently one of America’s closest allies, and will remain so for the mutual betterment of both nations.
Unless Donald Trump has anything to say about it. And he does.
The president blasted Canada in a recent interview with Fox News, saying that the nation “has been very abusive of the United States for many years.” Trump then claimed that Canada doesn’t “allow” United States’ businesses and goods across its borders, while the United States allows “everything” that Canada exports into the country. Trump then complained that the U.S. subsidizes Canada “to the tune of about $200 billion a year” and threatened that something was going to “happen” to Canada if it refused to give in to Trump’s demands.
“This is retaliatory” said Trump of his antagonistic policy towards Canada. Some users on Twitter disagreed, calling Trump’s statements “pathetic” instead.
The president is distorting the facts about Canada. In his remarks to Fox, Trump claimed that Canada prohibits U.S. banks from entering its borders. This is false. American banks are currently operating in Canada, and have been for over a hundred years. According to the Canadian Bankers Association, there are currently 16 different U.S. based bank branches operating in Canada, and U.S. banks “make up approximately half of all foreign bank assets in Canada.”
Canada’s former head of economic and fiscal policy Tyler Meredith called Trump out on his lies in a post on X, enumerating the many U.S. banks that current operate across Canadian borders. Meredith also pointed out that these banks profit from Canadian investments, and netted $500 million CAD worth of income in 2023.
The president’s lies didn’t end there. Trump claimed that Canada doesn’t let in American agricultural products, yet the nation imported $27.9 billion worth of US agricultural exports in 2023. Canada is the third largest buyer of U.S. produced food behind China and Mexico. The U.S. Department of Agriculture itself has gone against Trump’s claim, writing that Canada is one the United States’ “most significant and reliable trading partners” when it comes to food.
Trump’s latest attack on Canada are only a small snowflake in a greater avalanche of criticism that the president has dumped on the United States’ northern neighbor in recent months. Trump took up the habit of trolling Canada as America’s “51st State” and called Prime Minister Justin Trudeau its “governor.” Trump has since upped the ante on his antagonism, and threatened to annex Canada with the use of “economic force.”
So far, the president’s bark is worse than his bite. While Trump touted his plan to impose a 25% tariff on Canadian imports, the president recently delayed this controversial trade policy after Canada agreed to help stop fentanyl coming across the U.S./Canada border. The amount of fentanyl that crosses the United States northern border is minuscule, with only 43 pounds seized in 2024 – 0.2% of all U.S. fentanyl seizures.
Trump’s move to delay the Canadian tariffs comes on the heels of his decision to offer Mexico the same deal. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum agreed to send 10,000 soldiers to the U.S./Mexico border in order to combat drug trafficking. While Trump may talk tough against his allies, he’ll soon learn that even the president has limits.
Published: Feb 5, 2025 05:34 am