Canada FM Trump takes the 51st state line ‘very seriously’

Canadian Foreign Minister Meleni Jolie has told the BBC that she takes US President Donald Trump’s remarks to “make Canada” the 51st state of her country “very seriously”.

“It’s no fun now,” Jolie told Newsnight. “One of the reasons is that Canadian, when they go out on hockey games, are inciting the American national anthem … we are insulting. We are crazy. We are angry.”

Trump on Tuesday made his comments after imposing 25% tariff on products entering the US from Canada. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said “to talk very dumb” and announced an anti -retardation tariff.

However, US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnik said that Trump would announce a deal to reduce the tariff on Wednesday.

In response, Jolie told the BBC that “at the end of the day, the only one who really decide is President Trump”.

He said that no secretary of the Trump administration had contacted his Canadian counterparts about tariffs on Monday or Tuesday.

Trump announced 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico on 4 February, but the implementation was delayed by 4 March. Canadian energy imports face 10% tariffs.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford implemented 25% overload on electricity exports to three American states, and if the tariffs increased, Said he will consider Removing Michigan, New York and Minnesota from Canadian Power.

Trump also imposed a 10% tariff on goods of more than $ 800 (£ 645) from China in February, which doubled in March. China responded with its tariff.

White House said When it introduced the tariff It was “taking bold action to prevent illegal immigration and to catch its promises to prevent other drugs and other drugs from flowing in our country”.

Fentanyl is associated with thousands of overdose deaths in the US every year.

Trudeau said that his country was responsible for less than 1% of the fantanel entering the US.

Canada was Introducing new border security measures In December, in response to Trump’s tariff threats before taking over.

“We did not want this trade war. We did everything that was necessary under the executive order to ensure that our limit was safe and safe,” Jolie told the BBC, but said “this is a fake excuse against us against us”.

Jolie said that Canada was a “canary in the coal mine”, with the next European and then with the UK. Tusrap 25% tariff threatened Also on the European Union.

He said that Canada and the UK should work together: “This is why I went to London to ensure that if the tariffs have been imposed, we should work well on counter-tariffs.”

Jolie said that Canada’s public protests against the US are “not against American people. We are the best friends of American people”.

He called America’s largest trading partner a tariff on “existential threats”.

“We can’t disappoint our guard,” he said. “We need to ensure that we fight back.”