Trump again calls Canada 51st US state, says 'it's the only way it works'

Washington, October 15 (IANS) US President Donald Trump has renewed his suggestion that Canada could become the 51st American state, accusing the neighbouring country of exploiting the United States through tariffs and claiming that Canadian automobile manufacturers were shifting operations south of the border to escape his trade policies.Speaking at an election rally in Bullhead City, Arizona, Trump said his administration had fundamentally changed the economic relationship between the two countries and would no longer tolerate what he described as unfair Canadian trade practices."Their -- their car companies are all moving into America. They're all coming in, otherwise they have to pay massive tariffs. And they'll end up being the 51st state because it's the only way it works," Trump told supporters.His remarks came during a broader defence of tariffs as a tool to protect American industries and attract manufacturing investment.Trump singled out Canadian dairy tariffs as an example of what he considered unequal treatment of American exporters."Canada treats us very badly; they always have, not anymore. It's a whole different ball game now. Trump is in town," he said.He claimed Canada had imposed exceptionally high duties on American dairy products beyond certain import thresholds."Canada ripped us off with tariffs," Trump said.The President argued that the United States had little economic need for Canada, while Canada depended heavily on access to the American market."You know, we don't need them, but they need us. And why should we be losing $80 billion, $90 billion, $100 billion a year to support a country that isn't one of us?" he said.The remarks marked another instance of the President linking trade disputes with questions about Canada's political relationship with Washington.He also referred to his administration's decision to use the name Gulf of America instead of Gulf of Mexico and claimed to have renamed Lake Ontario as Lake America.The President then turned to Greenland, defending his interest in the strategically located Arctic territory and rejecting suggestions that he had intended to use military force to acquire it.He said he had instead raised his concerns strongly with NATO.Trump's comments on Canada were part of a lengthy campaign speech in which he portrayed tariffs as central to his administration's economic programme.He argued that foreign companies could avoid American import duties by establishing manufacturing facilities in the United States.The President also highlighted investments in semiconductor production, copper mining and automobile manufacturing as evidence that his policies were encouraging industrial expansion.Canada and the United States share one of the world's largest bilateral trading relationships, with deeply integrated supply chains in automobiles, energy, agriculture and manufacturing.Trade between the two countries is also governed by the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, which replaced the North American Free Trade Agreement in 2020.