Donald Trump
U.S. President Donald Trump Latin Times

President Donald Trump further escalated his trade war with Canada on Tuesday, saying he will double announced tariffs on steel and aluminum coming from the country. The decision follows that of Ontario Premier Doug Ford to impose a 25% surcharge on electricity exported to the United States, with Trump saying such actions will only stop when the country "becomes our cherished Fifty First State."

In a lengthy post on his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump said he instructed Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to "add an ADDITIONAL 25% Tariff, to 50%, on all STEEL and ALUMINUM COMING INTO THE UNITED STATES FROM CANADA, ONE OF THE HIGHEST TARIFFING NATIONS ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD."

The president said the measure will go into effect on Wednesday and anticipated he will declare a "National Emergency on Electricity" within the impacted area, which encompasses Minnesota, New York and Michigan.

"This will allow the U.S to quickly do what has to be done to alleviate this abusive threat from Canada. If other egregious, long time Tariffs are not likewise dropped by Canada, I will substantially increase, on April 2nd, the Tariffs on Cars coming into the U.S. which will, essentially, permanently shut down the automobile manufacturing business in Canada. Those cars can easily be made in the USA!" Trump added.

After claiming the country also "pays very little for National Security" and that the U.S. is "subsidizing Canada to the tune of more than 200 Billion Dollars a year," Trump said "the only thing that makes sense is for Canada to become our cherished Fifty First State."

"This would make all Tariffs, and everything else, totally disappear. Canadians taxes will be very substantially reduced, they will be more secure, militarily and otherwise, than ever before, there would no longer be a Northern Border problem, and the greatest and most powerful nation in the World will be bigger, better and stronger than ever — And Canada will be a big part of that," Trump added.

The president finished the message saying that the country's anthem will continue to play but "now representing a GREAT and POWERFUL STATE within the greatest Nation the the World has ever seen!"

The new leader of Canada's ruling Liberal party, Mark Carney, has vowed to win the trade war with Trump. After winning the party's leadership contest, he said "in trade, as in hockey, Canada will win." "We can't let him succeed," he added.

The incumbent party can now either call a snap election or opposition parties can force one with a no-confidence vote later this month. Liberals have seen a significant boost in the polls since Trump took office. The party trailed conservatives, led by Pierre Poilievre, by 20 percentage points in polls at the beginning of the year, but the difference has practically evaporated ever since.

Carney has attacked Poilievre as well, saying that a "person who worships at the altar of Donald Trump will kneel before him, not stand up to him." "Pierre Poilievre's plan will leave us divided and ready to be conquered," he added.

Originally published on Latin Times

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