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Donald Trump first used an international place for his proposal to get an additional state on Thursday: Canada.
In his first global event since he became US President earlier this week, Trump spoke on a video link -us Davos economic forum in Switzerland.
His speech and as a result of questions and answers offered an early example of squeezing various allies foreseen for his presidency.
What was less intended until recently was the intensity of this squeeze, the incidence of its focus on Canada and rhetorical switching to sovereignty.
Trump arrived with a wide message to the international business community: to build in the US or face the punishment of the tariff.
“Come make your product in America, and we will give you among the lowest taxes of any nation on Earth,” Trump said, somewhat exaggerate The advantage of corporation taxes in the US.
“But if you don’t make your product in America, which is your prerogative, then, very simply, you will have to pay the tariff.”
While transferring to several US allies, including the European Union, he continued to disparage Canada in length.
Trump threatened to impose heavy tariffs to US neighbors in North America as early as next week, although he also signed Executive command This suggests a longer time horizon, demanding a study on North America’s limits by April 1.
The same order suggests that Trump wants to put pressure on additional fronts. Refers to the scheduled review of the North American trade agreement, and also orders its officials to report on trade deficits and to foreign taxes This was hit by US companies.
In his speech in Davos, he again complained about the US trade deficit with Canada – which is real, But a fraction From $ 200 to $ 250 billion, which Trump claimed in his speech, and harder to grow and fall with the price of oil imports.
“We won’t have it again. We can’t do it,” Trump said during an extended Riff in Canada.
US President Donald Trump, speaking to video people gathered at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, claimed that other countries, including Canada, exploited the US, also reiterated that the United States does not need anything from Canada.
“As you probably know, I say,” you can always become a state, and if you are a state, we will not have a deficit. We will not need to targe you. “
He complained that it was difficult for Canada to deal with and repeated his past complaints about not needing his products: “We don’t need to make our cars, and they make them a lot. We don’t need their tree because we are because we don’t need . Have their own forests.
The facts are not so direct. In oil, for example, the truth is that they are now approach to be confident than that was the case in decades but is Still a net importerirresistible from Canadaand his refineries are designed to take over the heavy raw oil in Canada.
What is unquestionably real is the economic pressure that works.
It’s not just a threat to a 25 percent tariff, although it’s bad enough. Companies are advocating for damage and some, like Honda, have pronounced Nervous about its production plans in Canada.
And these are not just Trump’s other trade threats. It’s also massive deregulatory The effort he has started in critical minerals, oil and gas, which risks withdrawing investment in the US from other countries.
There is also a military pressure. Trump has threatened to leave NATO countries earlier if they do not increase the cost of defense; And he increased Ante in Davos.
Trump said on Thursday that he would demand that NATO countries to increase military consumption at about five percent of GDP. No NATO country has reached that level and most They are nowhere near. It’s a little even halfway. It’s 3.4 percent now.
In Ottawa Prime Minister Justin Trudeau noted that Canada almost tripled her defense budget and recently promised To get to the current NATO goal of two percent. It It won’t happen For years, however, according to the parliamentary guard.
Canada will have enough opportunities to talk about these issues with Trump on various international forums this year.
There is G7 in Alberti in June and then NATO Summit in Europe later that month, although both events could happen after federal elections.
In the meantime, Trump breaks the norms of generations regarding Canada-US, publicly questioning the sovereignty of Canada in a way that has not done a American politician for more than a century.
But all this statehood conversation will remain completely hypothetical if US public opinion has anything to do with it. Several Wall Street Journal, Reuters-Ipsos and The Economist-Youeg-You, Provented in recent days, suggest that the idea of an attachment to Canada is massively unpopular.
