US President Donald Trump has renewed his controversial “51st state” jibe at Canada as tensions between the two North American neighbours escalate over a fresh tariff dispute.
Trump took to Truth Social to criticise Canada after Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Ottawa would respond to Washington’s latest tariffs with a “dollar for dollar” measure.
“Canada wants the benefits of being a State, without being one!!! They have also charged our great farmers, for many years, massive amounts of Tariffs. No more!!!” Trump wrote.
Trump’s ‘51st state’ remark
Trump has repeatedly suggested that Canada should become the 51st US state. He first began making the remarks publicly in 2025, when Justin Trudeau was Canada’s prime minister, amid growing tensions over trade and tariffs.
The US president has continued to use the idea while arguing that Canada benefits economically from its relationship with the United States without meeting Washington’s demands on trade.
The latest comments come after trade negotiations between Washington and Ottawa failed to produce an agreement.
US-Canada tariff row escalates
The United States has announced a 50% tariff on Canadian imports after the latest trade negotiations fell through.
US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said Canada had declined to finalise a trade agreement under terms that Washington claimed had been agreed earlier in the week.
According to Greer, the US had offered to reduce tariffs on certain sectors, including steel and aluminium, but Canada did not accept the proposed terms.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, however, described the US move as an “attack on Canada” and said Ottawa would protect the country’s economy and national interests.
Carney also said Canada would introduce a “dollar for dollar” response to match the US tariffs. Details of the countermeasures are expected to be announced later this week.
Carney criticises US trade approach
Carney has pushed back against Washington’s position, arguing that last-minute changes made by the US were unfair and undermined confidence in any potential trade agreement.
He described the changes as “unfair” and “uneconomic”, while questioning the reliability of future deals with Washington.
The latest dispute adds another layer of tension to the relationship between the two countries, which share one of the world’s largest bilateral trading relationships.
Trump had previously said that Washington should be able to reach a deal with Canada, pointing to his relationship with Carney. However, the collapse of the latest negotiations and the subsequent tariff announcement have once again brought trade tensions to the forefront.
