US President Donald Trump said that if Canada became an associate member of the European Union, he would consider it a “hostile act” in comments to the press on Wednesday.
"If they do that, if I think it's at all a hostile act, I will put very serious tariffs or stop trading with Europe on many things," Trump said, calling the proposal "laughable."
“If it’s a good intention, that’s fine. If it’s a bad intention, we’ll put very heavy tariffs on Europe, which is a possibility,” he said, adding that Canada had been a "terrible trade partner."
Canada and the US are currently in a trade war, which is straining relations between the two neighboring countries and leaving Ottawa to seek new trade partners.
Von der Leyen pushes for Canada to become EU associate member
On Wednesday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced that she wanted to work with Canada to join the EU as an associate member.
"We want to bring the relationship with Canada to the highest level possible," von der Leyen said. "So, I would like to work with you on opening the door for Canada to be the first associate member of the EU."
"Canadians are united that nobody is going to tell us what language we speak. No one is going to dictate our culture or with whom we can strike agreements internationally,” Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said in response to Trump.
Hours after Trump’s trade threats, Carney spoke in the European Parliament.
Carney did not adopt the term "associate member," which von der Leyen used a day earlier, but said he appreciated "the ambition" her suggestion conveyed.
"Europe and Canada are each strong. Europe and Canada are even stronger together," Carney said.
He was not seeking to form a "third bloc" to act as "a great-power rival" to Washington and Beijing "only with better manners," Carney said, drawing laughs.
"We do not seek power to dominate others. On the contrary, we are pursuing resilience, so that no one can control our open markets, impair our sovereignty, threaten our territorial integrity, or undermine our freedoms, our democracies, our rule of law."
He told reporters after the speech that the EU would decide how to describe any future relationship, and that the substance of any agreement would matter more than the name.
Canada, of course, cannot fully join the EU because it is not geographically in Europe. But Carney said on Sunday that he was seeking a “unique alliance” with the bloc.
What would Canada's 'unique alliance' with the EU look like?
The Wall Street Journal reported over the weekend that it could mean the EU and Canada would reduce trade barriers, lay underwater cables linking the two countries, redirect pipelines to grant Europe access to Canadian gas, and potentially allow Canadians the right to work in Europe without a visa.
If the terms reported by the WSJ are correct, it would mark an unprecedented shift in how the bloc operates.
It is also unclear whether current EU member states would support the proposed measures.
One EU diplomat expressed surprise on Wednesday at the proposal, saying "nobody really knows what it means," and added that there were concerns the European Commission chief was "overpromising and won't be able to deliver."
On Thursday, another European diplomat called it an "unfortunate proposal, which has never been discussed with Member States."