Canada isn’t likely to join the European Union anytime soon.
But President Donald Trump’s immediate and draconian threat on Wednesday to impose “serious tariffs” or cease trading with Europe if it does underscores how seriously the administration regards efforts from other countries to band together and counter U.S. muscle.
So-called “middle-powers” uniting could blunt Trump’s ability to use the U.S.’s massive economy to bully countries to do his bidding. It also undermines the narrative that the country is in an economic “golden age,” said a former Trump official, granted anonymity to discuss the Canada-EU proposal.
“It’s kind of hard to claim it’s the golden age if countries are turning away from you economically, especially your neighbor,” the official said. “The action literally punctures the Trump narrative that we’re in the golden age. If we’re in the golden age, people wouldn’t be turning to Europe. People wouldn’t be turning to Canada.”
The president’s threat comes at a tumultuous time. Canada and the U.S. are in the middle of a trade war, levying billions of dollars worth of tariffs on each other following the collapse of trade negotiations last month. Europe, meanwhile, is in the middle of a long-term effort to be less reliant on the United States — economically and militarily — in part because of Trump’s threats and demands.
Speaking to the European Parliament on Thursday, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney sketched out why closer ties would be mutually beneficial but declined to give full-throated approval to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s surprise “associate member” plan, which she announced on Wednesday without offering specifics of what that might entail. And von der Leyen is getting pushback from member states for floating the proposal without first securing their agreement.
The Trump administration on Thursday dismissed the feasibility of the European Union welcoming Canada in as an associate member.
“Canada and the EU have had a comprehensive trade agreement for many years already, and a closer arrangement with the EU likely would implicate significant sovereignty issues where Canada has recently expressed concerns,” a U.S. official said. “As the U.S. is reducing its role as the global consumer of last resort, it is not clear that either Canada or the EU are ready to take up that mantle to absorb each other’s production.”
Still, if a country so deeply integrated with the U.S. economy can walk away from a trade deal — and successfully build deeper ties elsewhere — it could offer a model for others hoping to stand up to Trump and reduce their dependence on the United States.
“Look, the whole premise of the Trump trade doctrine is that every country is dependent on the United States for their economies, and Trump has used that leverage to get better trade deals from these countries by saying we won’t trade with you if you don’t do A, B and C — and that puts them in great danger,” said Stephen Moore, a longtime Trump economic adviser. “The idea that these countries can decouple from the United States is a dangerous proposition for them, and would hurt us as well.”
by Politico – Canada might not join the EU. Why Trump slapped down the idea anyway
