Trump Calls Canada One of World’s Worst Countries as Trade Dispute Escalates

US President Donald Trump has sharply criticised Canada, describing the country as “one of the worst countries in the entire world” as an escalating trade dispute between the two longtime allies puts further strain on bilateral relations.

Trump made the remark on Monday while speaking at the White House, accusing Canada of treating the United States unfairly and pointing to what he described as high tariffs on some American agricultural products.

“They want to have a deal with us. They call us all the time. The problem is, they have treated the United States very unfairly. They have been one of the worst countries in the entire world,” Trump said.

The US president also accused Canada of taking advantage of Washington, citing the two countries’ trade relationship as well as American support for Canada in areas including defence.

Trump said he expected Ottawa to eventually return to Washington seeking an agreement and suggested Canadian officials could push for the removal of tariffs within the next few weeks.

“I think what’s going to happen is, over the next three or four weeks, they’re going to come to us and they’re going to say, ‘We need to get rid of all the tariffs,’” he said, adding that any agreement must be “a fair deal.”

The comments came as the trade dispute reached another stage. On Tuesday, the United States brought into effect a ban covering nearly $1 billion worth of Canadian imports, including alcoholic beverages, dairy products and motorcycles. Canada has also imposed retaliatory tariffs on US goods following Washington’s earlier measures.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has meanwhile been seeking to broaden his country’s economic and strategic partnerships beyond the United States. Canada has been pursuing closer cooperation with the European Union in areas including trade, defence, energy, artificial intelligence and critical minerals.

The latest escalation also comes after US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said last week that the Trump administration saw no urgency in reaching a settlement with Canada. The dispute has raised fresh questions about the future of the US-Mexico-Canada trade framework.

For now, both sides remain locked in a series of tariffs and countermeasures, with businesses on both sides of the border facing the consequences of the worsening trade relationship.