President Donald Trump threatened on Saturday to impose 100% tariffs on all Canadian goods if Ottawa strikes a trade deal with China, a sharp reversal from his endorsement of a Canada-China agreement just eight days earlier.
“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 on Truth Social on Saturday.
“China will eat Canada alive, completely devour it, including the destruction of their businesses, social fabric, and general way of life,” the US President added before threatening the 100% tariff.
“If Canada makes a deal with China, it will immediately be hit with a 100% Tariff against all Canadian goods and products coming into the U.S.A. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DJT,” he added.
The post came after Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney warned attendees at the World Economic Forum in Davos earlier this week that the post-war international order is fraying amid great-power rivalry.
“Every day we’re reminded that we live in an era of great-power rivalry,” Carney said. “That the rules-based order is fading. That the strong can do what they can, and the weak must suffer what they must.”
Reversal 8 Days Later
Trump’s threat marks a stark shift from his comments on January 16, when he endorsed Canada’s decision to sharply lower tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles — hours after his top trade official called the agreement “problematic.”
The agreement announced on January 16 during Carney’s state visit to Beijing allows up to 49,000 Chinese electric vehicles into Canada annually at a 6.1% tariff rate, replacing the 100% duty imposed in 2024.
Speaking at a Ford factory a few hours after the deal was announced, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer criticized the Canadian agreement as “problematic” and suggested Ottawa may regret the deal “in the long run.”
During a brief media appearance at the White House, Trump was questioned about the tariff agreement between Canada and China.
“Well, it’s okay. That’s what he should be doing,” Trump stated. “I mean, it’s a good thing for him to sign a trade deal. If you can get a deal with China, you should do that.”
The US President’s supportive stance at the time aligned with comments he made earlier that week at the Detroit Economic Club, where he welcomed Chinese automakers to the US market — as long as they manufacture domestically.
“If they want to come in and build a plant and hire you and hire your friends and your neighbors, that’s great, I love that,” Trump said. “Let China come in, let Japan come in.”
Trade Dependency
According to the latest data from the Canadian government, more than 75% of all Canadian exports are destined for the United States compared to 10.5% for the Indo-Pacific region — which includes China.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford criticized the federal government’s decision to lower tariffs on Chinese EVs, warning the agreement gives Beijing a “foothold in the Canadian market” and puts the province’s auto industry at risk.
Additionally, Ford labeled Chinese EVs as “spy vehicles.”
