U.S. President Donald Trump on Jan. 24 warned Canada that if it concludes a trade deal with China, he will impose a 100 percent tariff on all goods coming over the border.
Relations between the United States and its northern neighbor have been rocky since Trump returned to the White House a year ago, with spats over trade and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney decrying a "rupture" in the U.S.-led global order.
During a visit to Beijing last week, Carney hailed a "new strategic partnership" with China that resulted in a "preliminary but landmark trade agreement" to reduce tariffs, but Trump warned of serious consequences should that deal be realized.
If Carney "thinks he is going to make Canada a 'Drop Off Port' for China to send goods and products into the United States, he is sorely mistaken," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
"China will eat Canada alive, completely devour it, including the destruction of their businesses, social fabric, and general way of life," he said.
"If Canada makes a deal with China, it will immediately be hit with a 100 percent Tariff against all Canadian goods and products coming into the USA."
Trump insulted Carney by calling him "Governor", a swipe referring to the U.S. president's repeated insistence that Canada should be the 51st U.S. state.
Trump this week posted an image on social media of a map with Canada -- as well as Greenland and Venezuela -- covered by the American flag.
Canada heavily relies on trade with the United States, the destination for more than three quarters of Canadian exports.
Key Canadian sectors like auto, aluminum and steel have been hit hard by Trump's global sectoral tariffs, but the levies' impacts have been muted by the president's broad adherence to an existing North American free trade agreement.
