Canada should become part of US, Trump quips to Trudeau on tariffs: Report

Can’t handle aggressive US tariffs? Become a part of the United States. This was President-elect Donald Trump’s offer to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as the duo dined at the Republican leader’s golf estate last week, Fox News reported. The suggestion, though made in jest, invited a “nervous” laugh from Trudeau, sources told Fox News.

The Trump-Trudeau meeting came as the beleaguered Canadian Prime Minister made an unannounced trip to the US after Trump asserted that he would impose sweeping tariffs on Canadian products after assuming office next year. The firebrand Republican has threatened to impose 25% tariffs on Canada for allegedly failing to arrest the flow of illegal immigrants and drugs into the US.

As the two leaders sat down for dinner at Mar-a-Lago, the issue of trade and border security became the main ingredients of discussion before Trudeau could relish the crab cocktail and oysters. According to Fox News, Trudeau requested Trump not to go ahead with the strict tariffs as it would “kill” the Canadian economy.