Former President Donald Trump warned Wednesday that he would slap steep tariffs on European goods or sever trade ties entirely if the EU moves forward with a plan to welcome Canada as an “associate member.” The stark threat came during a stop in North Carolina, where Trump told reporters that any such arrangement would likely qualify as a hostile act.
The ultimatum followed a speech in Strasbourg by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who signaled strong support for deepening EU-Canada relations. She told the European Parliament she wanted to create a pathway for Canada to become the bloc’s first associate member, framing the initiative as a natural extension of shared democratic values.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney attended von der Leyen’s annual State of the Union address and planned to speak before the Parliament the next day. His presence underscored how quickly Ottawa and Brussels have moved to strengthen ties amid stalled trade talks between Canada and Washington.
The proposed partnership would stretch far beyond the existing trade agreement. Reuters reported that possible areas of cooperation include manufacturing collaboration, a technology alliance, defense industrial integration, Arctic policy coordination, artificial intelligence, energy, and critical minerals.
Yet the legal path remains murky. EU treaties contain no formal definition of “associate member,” according to Reuters. Any new status would require unanimous backing from member states plus domestic ratification across all 27 countries. The BBC noted that ten EU members have still not ratified the free-trade deal signed with Canada nearly a decade ago, suggesting the process could take years.
Trump dismissed the idea as “laughable” when questioned separately by the BBC. He repeated his position that perceived hostility would trigger severe tariffs or a suspension of trade with Europe on multiple fronts.
CNBC pointed out that fresh U.S. tariffs would immediately test the trade framework negotiated last year, which capped most EU exports to America at a 15% tariff rate. That ceiling now hangs in the balance as Brussels and Ottawa position their emerging partnership as a strategic counterweight to deteriorating U.S.-Canada relations.
