US President Donald Trump said Washington could completely halt trade with the European Union after Canada was offered the chance to become the bloc's first associate member, according to infohub.kz.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposed the previous day that Canada become the European Union's first associate member. The American leader's reaction was sharp.
"I think it's ridiculous. If they (EU authorities — ed.) do this, and I consider it even the slightest bit unfriendly, I will impose very high tariffs or stop trade with Europe. If the intentions are good, fine. If the intentions are bad, we will hit Europe with very high tariffs — that's one option," Trump said.
Recall that in late August, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said he would impose retaliatory tariffs on the United States "dollar for dollar." In response, Donald Trump called Canada's policy a failure and the country's leadership, including Prime Minister Mark Carney and Ontario Premier Doug Ford, incompetent.
On August 27, Trump signed an order renaming Lake Ontario in the United States. In response, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said the name Ontario is more than 400 years old. Carney noted that it existed long before the formation of the Canadian Confederation and the US Declaration of Independence.