President Donald Trump has made several misleading statements regarding Canada, particularly in pushing for Canada to become the 51st state of the U.S. Here are the claims and the truth behind them:
- Canadians Want to Become the 51st State: Trump claimed that Canadians “like” the idea of joining the U.S. However, polls show that Canadians strongly oppose this idea, with 85% against it and only 9% in favor.
- U.S. Trade Deficit with Canada: Trump repeatedly claimed that the U.S. faced a “$200 billion” trade deficit with Canada, but the actual figure in 2024 was $35.7 billion in goods and services trade. If only goods trade is considered, the deficit is $70.6 billion.
- Canada’s Tariffs: Trump suggested that Canada has some of the highest tariffs in the world, but the reality is that Canada ranks 102nd globally for average tariff rates.
- Dairy Tariffs: Trump was wrong in claiming that under Biden, Canada raised dairy tariffs. In fact, these tariffs have remained unchanged since the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) was signed under Trump in 2018. These tariffs only apply once the U.S. reaches a certain quota, which it has not yet achieved.
- U.S. Agricultural Imports by Canada: Trump claimed that Canada does not import agricultural products from the U.S., which is false. Canada is the second-largest buyer of U.S. agricultural products, with a value of $28.4 billion in 2024.
- U.S. Banks in Canada: Trump incorrectly stated that Canada bans U.S. banks. In reality, over a dozen U.S. banks have operated in Canada for many years, with assets totaling about CAD 113 billion.
- Chinese and Russian Ships Surrounding Canada: Trump claimed that Canada is “constantly surrounded” by Chinese and Russian ships. However, while there are occasional military ship appearances near Alaska, Canada is not surrounded as Trump suggested.
- Trudeau and Political Ambitions: Trump alleged that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was using the tariff issue to run for re-election. However, Trudeau announced in January that he would step down as party leader, and a leadership election was planned shortly after Trump’s comments.
- Canada’s Defense Spending: Trump was wrong in stating that Canada spends less than 1% of its GDP on defense. Official NATO figures show that Canada spent 1.37% of its GDP on defense in 2024, higher than Trump’s claim but still below NATO’s 2% target.
