The president of the United States, Donald Trump, threatened on Wednesday the 16th to halt trade with the European Union (EU) if it proceeds with the proposal to make Canada the bloc’s first associate member.
“I think that’s ridiculous,” Trump told reporters when asked about the plan released by EU President Ursula von der Leyen. “If they do this, if I deem it a hostile act, I will impose very heavy tariffs or halt trade with Europe.”
Earlier, during a speech to the European Parliament in Strasbourg, in the presence of the Canadian prime minister, Mark Carney, von der Leyen proposed that Canada become the EU’s first “associate member.”
“I would like to work with you to open the door for Canada to become the first associate member of the EU,” von der Leyen told Carney. The remarks were greeted with applause by the MEPs.
The status of “associate member” is not defined legally by the European Union treaties. Germany had already proposed a similar measure for Ukraine, which would allow the country to participate in European meetings and summits, but without voting rights.
Carney is the first foreign head of government to accompany a State of the European Union address. He is expected to address the Members of the European Parliament on Thursday, the 17th, also in Strasbourg.
The invitation comes at a moment of tension in Canada’s relations with the United States, which have been locked in a trade dispute since Donald Trump returned to the American presidency. Ottawa seeks to broaden its international partnerships, while the EU is also facing friction with Washington and seeks to strengthen its position in the face of the two major economic powers, the United States and China.
