Trump threatened to impose 100% tariffs on Canada over Carney's rapprochement with China

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent reinforced the presidential warning by stating that Canada will face "severe penalties" if it facilitates the entry of Chinese goods into the U.S. market.

Bessent emphasized that China has already been singled out for unfair trade practices and recalled that several Western countries have adopted measures to protect their strategic industries in the face of Chinese overproduction.

Trump defended his stance as a national protection measure, in line with his policy of using tariffs as a tool of economic pressure. The president had already imposed a 35% tariff on Canada last August and has warned of similar sanctions against other countries that contribute to practices that harm U.S. industry.

In the face of Washington's warnings, Carney has maintained that the global economic order is changing and that Canada must diversify its trade relations. However, the White House insists that the economic closeness between the two countries makes it inevitable that any Canadian decision will have direct consequences for the United States.

With his message, Trump sought to make it clear that there will be no ambiguities: any attempt to strengthen trade ties with China at the expense of U.S. interests will come at a high price. 

The president of the United States, Donald Trump, hardened his tone against the Canadian government next weekend by issuing a direct and unequivocal warning: if Canada moves forward with trade agreements with China that allow Chinese products to enter the U.S. market, Washington will impose 100% tariffs on all Canadian exports. The message, released through Truth Social, marks a new escalation in the already tense relationship between the two countries.

Trump targeted socialist Prime Minister Mark Carney head-on, accusing him of underestimating China's impact on Western economies. According to the U.S. president, Beijing doesn't act as a reliable trade partner, but rather as a power that uses trade to dominate markets, destroy local industries, and weaken its competitors.

"China will eat Canada alive," Trump warned, stating that the North American country runs the risk of losing its productive fabric and its way of life if it opens the door to unfavorable agreements.

The central axis of Trump's warning is the fear that Canada will become an indirect route for China to evade U.S. tariffs. The president was blunt in stating that he will not allow Ottawa to function as a "dumping ground" for Chinese goods destined for the United States.

In that scenario, he warned, the response will be immediate and forceful: a 100% tariff on all Canadian products entering the U.S. market.

The threat comes after the announcement of an agreement between Canada and China that significantly reduces tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles. Although Ottawa had imposed a 100% levy on these products in 2024, the new pact will allow the entry of 49,000 units with a preferential rate of 6.1%.

For the White House, this decision represents a dangerous shift that contradicts the joint efforts of the United States, Canada, and Europe to curb Chinese dumping.