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2mo ago

U.S.-Canada Relations Fracture Over Trade War and Annexation Comments

President Trump’s tariffs and rhetoric about annexing Canada have strained ties with a key ally, overshadowing the G7 summit in Quebec.

Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly sits with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio during the G7 meeting of foreign ministers in Charlevoix, Quebec, Thursday, March 13, 2025. (Saul Loeb/Pool via AP)
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks with reporters following the G7 foreign ministers meeting in La Malbaie, Quebec, Canada, on Friday, March 14, 2025.
Natalie Wright, 33, of Ottawa, ON, Canada, joins a protest against the Trump administration's policies at Capitol building in Washington D.C. on Presidents' Day, Feb. 17, 2025.

Overview

  • President Trump has imposed steep tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum, escalating a trade war with one of the U.S.'s largest trading partners.
  • Trump has repeatedly suggested Canada should become the 51st U.S. state, framing it as an economic argument, which Canadian officials have vehemently rejected.
  • Newly sworn-in Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly have strongly defended Canada's sovereignty and condemned Trump's comments.
  • The G7 summit in Quebec, intended to address global issues like Russia's war in Ukraine, was overshadowed by tensions between the U.S. and its allies over trade and annexation rhetoric.
  • Despite the friction, G7 foreign ministers issued a joint statement supporting Ukraine's sovereignty and warning Russia of further sanctions if it refuses a ceasefire.