Sunday, January 25, 2026 — Dalena Reporters
U.S. President Donald Trump ratcheted up his public pressure on Canada this weekend, warning that **China is “successfully and completely taking over” the nation and issuing an extraordinary threat to impose 100 % tariffs on Canadian goods if Ottawa pursues deeper economic ties with Beijing comments that included an appeal to preserve the sport of ice hockey.
In a series of social media posts, Trump accused Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney of enabling Chinese economic influence and suggested that the country could become a “drop-off port” for Chinese exports bound for the United States. Trump wrote that such a scenario would “eat Canada alive, completely devour it, including the destruction of their businesses, social fabric, and general way of life.” In the same message, he added, “I only hope they leave Ice Hockey alone!” — underscoring the symbolic importance of the sport in Canadian national identity.
The President’s remarks came amid escalating tensions between Washington and Ottawa over trade and foreign policy. Earlier this week, Trump publicly threatened to slap a 100 % tariff on all Canadian imports if Canada finalised what he views as a new trade arrangement with China, a move that would instantly reshape the already complex economic relationship between the two neighbours.
Trump’s rhetoric has been particularly sharp toward Carney, whom he has repeatedly referred to dismissively as “governor,” a jab echoing past tensions with Canadian leadership. The tariff threat follows Trump’s withdrawal of Canada’s invitation from his proposed “Board of Peace” initiative an international diplomatic forum after Carney’s speeches critiquing aspects of U.S. foreign policy at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
Prime Minister Carney responded by clarifying that Canada has no intention of pursuing a free trade agreement with China, noting that Ottawa’s recent deal with Beijing focused on resolving specific tariff issues rather than formalising wide-ranging trade liberalisation. Under the terms of the existing United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), Canada must notify the U.S. before negotiating broader free trade agreements with non-market economies — a point Carney emphasised in media remarks over the weekend.
Canadian officials also highlighted that recent adjustments with China involved limited tariff reductions on electric vehicles and reciprocal tariff relief on agricultural products rather than full market access expansions. They reiterated that Canada’s longstanding trade and security partnership with the United States remains a priority even amid public disagreement.
The escalating dispute has injected fresh uncertainty into North American economic relations and fuelled debate over trade strategy, national sovereignty, and geopolitical balancing in an era of intensifying U.S.-China rivalry.