President Donald Trump is planning to further escalate his economic war on Canada as part of a push to annex his country's northern neighbor, he announced Tuesday.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said he was imposing another 25% tariff on steel and aluminum imported to Canada, above the 25% he announced he previously. He said the increased taxes were a response to Ontario Premier Doug Ford imposing a 25% export tax on electricity to the United States, itself a response to Trump's decision to renege on a U.S.-Canada free trade agreement that he negotiated during his first term in office.
The increased taxes will go into effect on Wednesday, Trump said, adding that he would declare a "National Emergency on Electricity."
"This will allow the U.S. to quickly do what has to be done to alleviate this abusive threat from Canada," Trump said. "If other egregious, long time Tariffs are not likewise dropped by Canada, I will substantially increase, on April 2nd, the Tariff on Cars coming into the US. which will, essentially, permanently shut down the automobile manufacturing business in Canada."
Trump made no mention of fentanyl, which he and others in his administration have previously pointed to as a reason for an economic war on Canada, despite the fact that nearly all fentanyl smuggled into the United States comes through the southern border. Instead, Trump claimed that the U.S. subsidizes Canada's defense and that the "only thing that makes sense is for Canada to become our cherished Fifty First State."
"The artificial line of separation drawn many years ago will finally disappear," Trump threatened, "and we will have the safest and most beautiful Nation anywhere in the World."
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