US President Donald Trump on Saturday warned that he would impose a sweeping 100 per cent tariff on Canadian imports if Ottawa proceeds with any new trade agreement with China, escalating tensions between Washington and its northern neighbour.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump claimed that closer economic ties with Beijing would place Canada’s sovereignty and stability at risk, arguing that China would “eat Canada alive” and “completely devour it,” including the destruction of its businesses, social fabric, and broader way of life.
Trump issued a direct ultimatum, saying that if Canada signs a deal with China, it would “immediately be hit with a 100pc tariff against all Canadian goods and products coming into the USA.”
The remarks appeared to be aimed at Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who has recently signalled a willingness to engage economically with Beijing. During a recent visit to China, Carney described the Asian superpower as a “reliable and predictable partner,” and at the World Economic Forum in Davos, he urged European leaders to consider investment opportunities in the world’s second-largest economy.
Trump, however, suggested that any Canadian agreement with China could serve as a backdoor route for Chinese goods to enter the United States and bypass American trade restrictions. “If Governor Carney thinks he is going to make Canada a ‘Drop Off Port’ for China to send goods and products into the United States, he is sorely mistaken,” Trump wrote, using a dismissive title for the Canadian leader.
Relations between the two countries have become increasingly strained in recent days. On Thursday, Trump withdrew an earlier invitation for Canada to join his “Board of Peace” initiative — an effort he has promoted as a platform for resolving international conflicts.
The reversal came shortly after Carney’s speech in Davos, where he criticised powerful states for using economic integration as a geopolitical weapon, and for turning tariffs into tools of pressure and leverage. The exchange has further highlighted widening differences between the two allies over trade policy, global economic engagement, and how to manage growing competition with China.