What does Trump mean for Canadian-American relations?
Talk of tariffs and a '51st state'


The United States and Canada have the longest undefended border in the world. Relations between the two countries are usually placid. A second Donald Trump presidency could change that.
Trump "appears interested in adding a 51st star to the American flag," Alexandra Sharp said at Foreign Policy. The president-elect has veered between threatening massive tariffs on Canadian imports to speculating — some would say trolling — about the possibility of absorbing Canada into the United States. "I think it is a great idea. 51st State!!!" Trump said on Truth Social. "The revolutionary nature of these threats is hard to overstate, even by Trump's own audacious standards," said Foreign Policy columnist Edward Alden.
Trump's provocations have created a "near-existential moment" in Canadian politics, said The New York Times. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was already in "serious trouble" before Trump's election, but now there's a new element of chaos. Chrystia Freeland, Canada's finance minister, resigned in mid-December, suggesting that Trudeau was failing at the task of "pushing back at 'America First' economic nationalism" in the form of tariffs. Trudeau's future is murky. What's clear: Trump "will continue to loom large over Canadian politics," said the Times.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Trade war would 'make life more expensive'
Trump has focused on America's trade deficit with Canada while threatening tariffs. In one social media post, he complained that "we subsidize Canada to the tune of over $100,000,000 a year." That grievance is "nonsense," Zeeshan Aleem said at MSNBC. There is "nothing innately wrong with having a trade deficit," but Trump tends to see international relations as all winners and losers: "You're either ripping someone off, or you're the one getting ripped off." In fact, the U.S. "benefits economically from what it imports from Canada."
Canadian officials are now preparing export taxes — on commodities like uranium, oil and potash — that would "drive up costs for U.S. consumers, farmers and businesses" as a response to Trump's proposed tariffs, Brian Platt said at Bloomberg. Americans could end up paying at the pump: Canada is the "largest external supplier of oil" to the United States. A trade war could end up being messy for both sides. "All it does is make life more expensive," said Alberta Premier Danielle Smith.
'Like cousins or siblings'
"Trump is going after Canada now — but everyone else is next," Stephen Collinson said at CNN. The incoming president's "vindictive behavior" is focused on America's neighbor at the present, but it's likely to be the dominant mode in his foreign policy. Canadians are "getting an early taste of what Trump's second term will be like," Collinson said. "But everyone else will soon catch up."
Some Canadian officials are trying to downplay the potential conflict. The U.S. and Canada are "like family, like cousins or siblings," Kirsten Hillman, Canada's ambassador to the U.S., said to Politico. She is trying to emphasize what the countries have in common over sources of potential conflict. "There's no country in the world that wants a strong America more than Canada, right?" she said. However, "a strong Canada is good for the United States."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Joel Mathis is a writer with 30 years of newspaper and online journalism experience. His work also regularly appears in National Geographic and The Kansas City Star. His awards include best online commentary at the Online News Association and (twice) at the City and Regional Magazine Association.
-
Film reviews: The Phoenician Scheme, Bring Her Back, and Jane Austen Wrecked My Life
Feature A despised mogul seeks a fresh triumph, orphaned siblings land with a nightmare foster mother, and a Jane fan finds herself in a love triangle
-
Music reviews: Tune-Yards and PinkPantheress
Feature "Better Dreaming" and "Fancy That"
-
Withdrawing 529 plan funds for college? Here's what to know.
the explainer Maximize the amount you have stashed away for your education
-
Elon Musk slams Trump's 'pork-filled' signature bill
speed read 'Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong,' Musk posted on X
-
'We need solutions that prioritize both safety and sustainability'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
A running list of all the celebrities Trump has pardoned
IN DEPTH Reality stars, rappers and disgraced politicians have received some of the high-profile pardons doled out by the president
-
'The pattern is similar across America'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Judge blocks push to bar Harvard foreign students
speed read Judge Allison Burroughs sided with Harvard against the Trump administration's attempt to block the admittance of international students
-
Trump's trade war whipsawed by court rulings
Speed Read A series of court rulings over Trump's tariffs renders the future of US trade policy uncertain
-
What's next for Elon Musk?
Today's Big Question The world's richest man has become 'disillusioned' with politics – but returning to his tech empire presents its own challenges
-
Trump's super-charged pardon push raises eyebrows and concerns
IN THE SPOTLIGHT Never shy about using his pardon ability for political leverage, Trump's spate of amnesty announcements suggests the White House is taking things to a new level