The US administration has warned the European Union of heavy tariffs and restrictive trade measures, in response to Brussels’ suggestion that Canada should gain the status of the first “associated” member of the European bloc.
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Speaking to reporters, President Donald Trump called the initiative for such a close link between Canada and the EU “ridiculous”, stressing that the US response will be determined by Washington’s interpretation of the motives behind the proposal.
“If this is considered a hostile move, we will apply extremely high tariffs,” Trump said. He added that if the United States concludes that Europe is acting with “harmful intentions”, very heavy customs duties will be imposed on member states. “If the intentions are good, there is no problem. But if they are bad, we will hit Europe with huge tariffs,” the White House chief declared, hinting that cutting off trade exchanges in some areas remains a possible option.
During his speech, the US president did not spare criticism of Canada, which he described as a “terrible” trading partner for the United States.
These statements came just a day after the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, floated the idea of associated membership for Canada. This happened during her annual State of the Union address at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, where Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney was also present.
Addressing Carney directly, von der Leyen expressed a desire to work on paving the way for a new, much deeper model of cooperation. This partnership would extend to sectors such as economy, security, technological innovation, energy, strategically important minerals, and policies for the Arctic region. “I want to work with you to open the doors for Canada as the first associated member of the European Union,” she said.
Currently, such a status is not provided for by the EU legal framework, and the exact legal and institutional modalities remain to be clarified. For this very reason, the initiative represents an entirely new form of cooperation and not a full accession process. Von der Leyen clarified that both sides, Brussels and Ottawa, aim to create a “coalition for the future”, also building on the existing CETA trade agreement. The proposed areas of interaction go beyond economic exchanges to include defense, artificial intelligence, energy, and critical raw materials.
Earlier, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has emphasized that Ottawa seeks to build a “special alliance” with the European Union, without aspiring for full membership in the Union.
