On August 22nd, local time, U.S. President Trump posted a statement on the social media platform Truth Social, criticizing Canada again. He said, "Canada wants to become a state of the United States, but they refuse to truly become a state!!! They have been imposing huge tariffs on our great farmers for many years. It's not acceptable anymore!!!"
This is Trump's first public statement since trade negotiations between China and the US broke down.
Previously, in order to avoid further negotiations at the last moment regarding tariffs, the talks failed on the evening of August 21. As a result, on August 22, the United States imposed a 50% tariff on approximately $2 billion worth of Canadian goods, which accounts for about 5% of Canada’s exports to the US. These goods included wine, dairy products, cement, clothing, and ice hockey equipment.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau immediately announced that Canada would take reciprocal measures in a "dollar-for-dollar" manner. Starting from September 8, tariffs will be imposed on US steel, dairy products, appliances, and electronic goods. He said, "When you are attacked, you are in a state of war. We have been attacked."
Trump's remarks continue his earlier statements about "turning Canada into the 51st state of the United States". He also accused Canada of imposing high trade barriers on U.S. agricultural products for a long time. The White House has taken tariffs under Article 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930, citing Canada's "discriminatory treatment" of U.S. products in areas such as automobiles, alcohol, and dairy products.
Analysts point out that Trump’s statement of “State 51” is both a strategy to pressure negotiations and reflects his long-term dissatisfaction with the trade imbalance between the US and Canada. Currently, trade friction between the two countries is escalating, and their relations are tense, making it difficult for them to ease quickly in the short term.
The American magazine The Atlantic published a commentary on the 22nd titled "How to Lose a Trade War—Trump’s Bullying of Canada is Failing." The article argues that U.S. President Donald Trump is at a disadvantage in the trade conflict with Canada, as his threats and pressures against Ottawa have not been effective.
The article points out that although Canada's economic size is much smaller than that of the United States, its government is more rational and capable of effectively safeguarding national interests during trade conflicts. Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau has higher popularity than Trump, and Canadians have become united due to their distrust of Washington. At the same time, the American public is facing an increasing national debt, high interest rates, and an energy crisis.
The Atlantic Monthly believes that Trump's inability to accept the fact that "war depends not only on strength but also on endurance" led to his defeat in the negotiations with Iran, and was also a major reason for his failure in trade conflicts.
