The comment came during a high-stakes trade meeting with Canada's Prime Minister
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President Donald Trump has reignited talk of the United States potentially 'absorbing' Canada after once again suggesting he'd use 'economic force' to make it happen.
On Tuesday (October 7), the 79-year-old met with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, 60, in the Oval Office to discuss ongoing trade tensions. The meeting came after the Republican administration’s decision earlier this year to raise tariffs on Canadian goods to 35 percent. Canada fired back with its own heavy taxes on U.S. exports, escalating the economic dispute between the two nations.
This round of tariffs traces back to February, when Trump linked the policy to border security and accused Canada of taking advantage of the U.S. in trade deals.
Later, Trump reduced the scope of the duties to apply only to products not covered under the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA).
At present, new trade restrictions remain in effect, including a 50 percent tariff on steel and aluminum and a 25 percent tax on automobiles. Despite these heated measures, Trump maintained that there is still “mutual love” between the two countries and downplayed the tension as part of a tough negotiation process.
The U.S. president emphasized that relations with Canada have always been close, even when the two allies find themselves clashing over trade.
Trump and Carney's bilateral lunch saw the pair discussing tariffs
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He went on to suggest that Canadians would come around once the new trade deal is finalized and made public.
"I think they're going to be very happy," he told reporters in Washington. "They talk about competitiveness; he's [Carney] a very competitive person."
According to a BBC News report, Trump also said that the U.S. and Canada’s trade relationship is among the hardest to negotiate, mainly because both countries are competing for similar industries and export markets.
"The problem is that they want a car company, and I want a car company," Trump explained. "They want steel, and we want steel... in other countries, they're very far away and there's no problem."
He then hinted that parts of the CUSMA agreement could be revisited in the near future if it benefits both economies.
Before the 2.5-hour meeting, Carney referred to Trump as a “transformative president” and highlighted several of his recent economic and diplomatic accomplishments.
As reported by BNN Bloomberg, that’s when Trump once again floated the idea of Canada joining the United States as its 51st state.
"And the merger of Canada and the United States," he remarked with a half-smile.
Trump’s comment followed up on earlier statements he made this year, in which he threatened to use “economic force” to push for a merger between the two nations, according to CBC News.
When pressed in January on whether he was considering the use of military force to annex Canada — after ruling out similar actions with the Panama Canal and Greenland — Trump replied simply: "No. Economic force."
In a later appearance in Palm Beach, he mused that combining the two countries would “really be something,” adding: "You get rid of the artificially drawn line and you take a look at what that looks like and it would also be much better national security. Don't forget: We basically protect Canada."
His remarks have since sparked a mix of confusion, amusement, and criticism both in Washington and north of the border.
Trump made reference to the United States absorbing Canada again
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Former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was quick to push back, saying there was “not a snowball’s chance in hell” that Canada would ever become part of the United States.
"Workers and communities in both our countries benefit from being each other's biggest trading and security partner," Trudeau wrote on X (formerly Twitter), emphasizing the value of maintaining Canada’s independence.
Trump later acknowledged that he had “no right” to annex the country, though he continued to insist that closer economic ties were in both nations’ best interests.
Both Trump and Carney avoided giving specific details on what was agreed upon during their latest tariff discussions. Carney, however, described the meeting as “positive,” “productive,” and “effective.”
It remains unclear when — or if — the two sides will publicly announce the next phase of their negotiations, but for now, talk of a U.S.-Canada merger has once again taken center stage.