Trump first mentioned the idea of absorbing Canada for dinner from Labor in December, shortly after he first threatened the tariff. At the time, Canadian officials rejected it as a joke.
But Truda’s comments on Friday suggest a shift in how Canada can perceive Trump’s comments.
The IPSOS poll in January shows that most Canadians (80%) oppose their country that becomes part of the United States and will never vote “yes” in any referendum on this issue.
Such a step will also require the approval of both Houses of Congress in the US and will need a heavy 60 votes to go through the Senate.
In Canada, Trump’s threats have caused nationwide anxiety. About three quarters of Canadian exports are sold in the US, and steep tariffs for these goods can deeply harm the Canadian economy and risk thousands of losses.
Some provincial politicians have launched “Buy Local” companies to encourage Canadians to spend their money at home instead of the United States. Some Canadians canceled the trips south of the border to protest.
But the officials also tried to push closer ties with the US after the tariffs, saying that Canada was open to create Canada and US alliances and critical minerals.
Energy Minister Jonathan Wilkinson, who was in Washington this week to meet with his American counterparts, said closer cooperation would be “win -win” for both countries.
At the Summit on Friday, Trudu said Canada was faced with the possibility of “a more difficult, long -term political situation with the United States” and should find ways to strengthen his own economy and trade in the coming years.