WATCH: Trump steadfast on annexing Canada — muses Canadians would like less taxes, better healthcare

President Donald Trump appears to be adamant about the US annexing Canada as its 51st state, doubling down yet again on the suggestion ahead of his visit to North Carolina Friday.

The president, who first made the suggestion in November when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau skipped down to Mar-a-Lago to attempt to defer Trump's 25% tariff threat, made a similar statement addressing the World Economic Forum via video conference on Thursday.

Trump said the imminent tariffs, to go into effect February 1, are a consequence of Canada and Mexico’s weak borders, which allow masses of illegal immigrants and drug traffickers to “flood” into the US.

Simultaneously, Trump maintains the US subsidizes Canada, with its northern neighbour running a multi-billion dollar deficit.

“They've been very nasty to us on trade,” Trump told reporters ahead of his North Carolina hurricane damage tour.

“Historically, Canada has been very, very bad to us, very unfair to us on trade, so we'll see how it all works out.”

“I would love to see Canada be the 51st state.”

“The Canadian citizens, if that happened, would get a very big tax cut — tremendous tax cut, because they're very highly taxed — and you wouldn't have to worry about military, you wouldn't have to worry about many of the things, have better health coverage.”

“They'd have much better health coverage.”

“So I think the people of Canada would like it, you know, if it's explained.”

“And there'd be no tariffs.”