Trump stands firm on tariffs, suggests Canada would be better off 'as a state'

President Donald Trump said Thursday that he will not budge on the 25% tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum set to take effect on April 2, adding that Canada would be better off “as a state.”

“We've been ripped off for years,” Trump told reporters.

“We're not going to be ripped off anymore. No, I'm not going to bend at all on aluminum or steel tariffs. We're not going to bend.”

“We've been ripped off as a country for many, many years. We've been subjected to costs that we should not be subjected to. In the case of Canada, we're spending $200 billion a year to subsidize Canada.”

Trump has repeatedly claimed that Canada has a $200 billion trade deficit with the US. While he has not specifically defined the “subsidies” he says Canada receives from the US, he frequently, as he did on Thursday, alludes to Canada’s failure to meet NATO defense spending targets — leaving the US to bear the cost of Canada’s security.

Trump also regularly highlights Canada’s long-standing tariffs against the US, particularly on lumber and the 250% to 300% tariffs imposed on dairy products through Canada’s dairy cartel, the Supply Management Agreement.

“I love Canada. I love the people of Canada,” said Trump.

“I have many friends in Canada — the great one, Supply Management Agreemen, the great Wayne Gretzky. I know many people from Canada who are good friends of mine.”

“But the United States can't subsidize a country $200 billion a year.”

“We don't need their cars, we don't need their energy, we don't need their lumber. We don't need anything that they have.”

“We do it because we want to be helpful, but there comes a point when you just can't do that. You have to run your own country. And to be honest with you, Canada only works as a state because we don't need anything they have as a state.”

Trump described the US-Canada border as a “straight, artificial line” and suggested that when Canada becomes a “great and cherished state,” it will be able to keep its national anthem.

“Somebody did it a long time ago, many, many decades ago, and it makes no sense,” Trump said.

“It's so perfect as a great and cherished state, keeping ‘O Canada,’ the national anthem. I love it. I think it's great. Keep it, but it'll be for the state — one of our greatest states, maybe our greatest state.”

“There'll be a little disruption, but it won't be very long. They need us. We really don't need them.”

“We have to do this. I'm sorry, we have to do this.”