As Canada prepares to host the G7 foreign ministers, Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly is gearing up to address pressing concerns, including the escalating trade war with the United States. Joly plans to sound the alarm about the implications of the U.S. actions, warning her European and British counterparts that, “If the U.S. can do this to us, their closest friend, then nobody is safe.”
Although the official agenda focuses on Ukraine, the Middle East, Haiti, and Venezuela, Joly intends to raise the issue of U.S. tariffs and sovereignty threats with her counterparts. This move is seen as an effort to rally support and emphasise the need for collective action in the face of U.S. trade policies, while advising them, “Canada is the canary in the coal mine.”
Canada has been reeling from the impact of U.S. tariffs, with Trump imposing 25 percent tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum. In response, Joly delivered a scathing speech, arguing that Trump’s tariffs are an excuse for economic coercion. Canada has also retaliated with counter-tariffs on about $20 billion worth of American goods.
At the heart of the issue is Canada’s sovereignty, with Trump repeatedly making comments that have been perceived as annexation threats. Joly has been vocal about her concerns, stating that Canada will not back down in the face of U.S. coercion. She has also emphasised the need for Canada to cooperate with Europe on military exercises and defense equipment to protect its sovereignty.
U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, however, has downplayed Trump’s annexation comments, suggesting that the president believes Canada should become the 51st state from an economic standpoint. “He says if they became the 51st state, we wouldn’t have to worry about the border and fentanyl coming across because now we would be able to manage that,” he added.
Relations between the United States and Canada are at an all-time low, thanks to Trump’s threats to impose tariffs on all imports from Canada and his constant musing about annexing the country to make it the 51st U.S. state.
This perspective has been met with skepticism by many Canadians, who feel that their country’s sovereignty is under threat.
“We’re going to be focused in the G7 on all of those things. That’s what the meeting is about. It is not a meeting about how we’re going to take over Canada,” Rubio told reporters, highlighting how offbeat their ties have become.
As Canada prepares to swear in a new prime minister, the trade dispute with the U.S. remains a pressing concern. Prime Minister-designate Mark Carney has identified Trump’s trade assault as an “economic and sovereign crisis” and has vowed to stop the president from dominating the hemisphere by taking Canada and Greenland.
“The Americans want our resources, our water, our land, our country,” he warned on Sunday. “Think about it. If they succeed, they will destroy our way of life.”
Outgoing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, in his farewell speech, emphasised, “Democracy is not a given. Freedom is not a given. Even Canada is not a given”.
