Trump Threatens Tariffs or Trade Cutoff If EU Admits Canada as Associate Member

President Donald Trump warned on Thursday evening that he would impose severe tariffs or halt trade with European nations if the European Union follows through on a proposal to make Canada its first associate member, calling the move a potential hostile act. Speaking to reporters, Trump said: "If they do that, I think it's at all a hostile act, I will put very serious tariffs or stop trading with Europe on many things," while leaving open the possibility that the initiative could be benign, adding "If it's a good intention, that's fine."

The EU proposal originated on Wednesday, when European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen invited Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney to work toward making Canada the bloc's first associate member, a relationship the EU described as unlike any it has built before. The overture came as Canada has been seeking stronger trade ties in Europe and Asia in response to escalating U.S. tariffs, which already include 50% duties on Canadian goods along with impending restrictions on certain dairy, alcohol and auto imports later this month.

Trump's remarks significantly escalate the transatlantic trade standoff, threatening to extend the ongoing trade conflict from North America to Europe if the EU-Canada relationship deepens. The president's warning of either a full trade cutoff or major new tariffs on European goods adds a new dimension to the pressure campaign he has already applied against both Canada and the EU.