Trump threatens trade with Europe if it makes Canada an associate member of the EU

President Donald Trump threatened Wednesday to retaliate against Europe if the European Union follows done connected a connection to make Canada its first subordinate member.

The plan, floated earlier successful the time by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, would deepen the EU's ties pinch Canada beyond their existing waste and acquisition agreement.

Trump said he could respond pinch dense tariffs aliases curb waste and acquisition pinch Europe if he viewed the move arsenic hostile, extending his trade conflict pinch Canada to 1 of America's largest economical partners.

"If they do that, if I deliberation it's astatine each a dispute act, I will put very superior tariffs aliases extremity trading pinch Europe connected galore things," Trump told reporters aft landing successful North Carolina connected Wednesday.

Trump called the imaginable "laughable" and described Canada arsenic a "terrible waste and acquisition partner."

On Wednesday, Trump besides issued a statesmanlike memorandum directing national agencies to place Canadian-origin equipment that could beryllium removed from the national procurement system, citing what his management described arsenic barriers facing US companies seeking Canadian authorities contracts.

At a rally connected the aforesaid day, Trump said the US was "carrying the European nations pinch a $200 cardinal deficit," referring to the US equipment shortage pinch the EU.

"All we person to do is say, you cognize what? We're not trading pinch you anymore. We don't request thing they have. We person cars, we person lumber, we person food, we person everything," Trump said.

Von der Leyen's projected statement remains undefined: EU treaties do not presently supply for specified a status, and officials person yet to spell retired what authorities aliases obligations it would carry.

Canada and the EU already person a wide waste and acquisition agreement, the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement.

Von der Leyen said she wanted to build connected it pinch a wider business spanning technology, energy, captious minerals, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, defense, and the Arctic.

After US-Canada waste and acquisition talks collapsed down past month, Prime Minister Mark Carney moved to deepen Canada's commercialized and information ties pinch Europe.

On Wednesday, his agency said Ottawa had formally applied to subordinate the British-led Joint Expeditionary Force, a rapid-response subject business of 10 bluish European NATO countries.