Washington, October 15, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
US President Donald Trump has renewed his suggestion that Canada could become the 51st American state, linking the idea to his administration’s tariff policies and accusing the neighbouring country of treating the United States unfairly in trade.
Speaking at an election rally in Bullhead City, Arizona, Trump claimed Canadian automobile manufacturers were shifting production to the United States to avoid steep import duties. He presented the movement of manufacturing investment across the border as evidence that his tariff strategy was reshaping bilateral economic ties.
“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.
Defending tariffs as a means of protecting American industries and attracting investment, Trump singled out Canada’s dairy trade policies, arguing that Canadian duties restricted access for US 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, adding that Canada had “ripped us off with tariffs”.
Trump also questioned the economic value of the bilateral relationship for Washington, claiming the United States did not need Canada as much as Canada depended on 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.
His remarks once again connected trade disputes with his recurring suggestion that Canada should become part of the United States. The comments came during a broader speech in which he highlighted investments in semiconductor production, copper mining and automobile manufacturing as evidence that his economic policies were encouraging industrial expansion.
Trump also referred to his administration’s use of the name “Gulf of America” for the Gulf of Mexico and claimed to have renamed Lake Ontario as “Lake America”.
Turning to Greenland, the US President defended his interest in the strategically important Arctic territory and rejected suggestions that he intended to acquire it through military force, saying he had instead pressed his concerns strongly with NATO.
The United States and Canada maintain one of the world’s largest bilateral trading relationships, with closely integrated supply chains spanning automobiles, energy, agriculture and manufacturing. Their trade is governed by the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), which replaced the North American Free Trade Agreement in 2020.
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