Trump urges Canadian firms to relocate to U.S. amid escalating trade dispute
President Donald Trump called on Canadian companies doing business with the United States to move their headquarters and production to America, as both nations impose new tariffs and tensions rise over trade negotiations.
President Donald Trump used his Truth Social platform on Sunday to demand that Canadian companies operating in the United States shift their headquarters and manufacturing facilities to America, citing the upcoming tariffs that are scheduled to take effect in 2027. He wrote that companies which had previously moved out of the United States could return "without tariffs."
The remarks follow a breakdown in trade talks and the announcement of tariffs of up to 50 percent on certain Canadian products, including dairy and lumber. Canada has responded with reciprocal duties on U.S. steel, aluminum and other exports. The two economies together generate roughly $900 billion in cross-border activity each year, according to the U.S. trade representative.
Canadian officials warned that a prolonged trade conflict would harm both economies. Ontario Premier Doug Ford told ABC’s "This Week" that the president’s approach was "backwards" and likened the renaming of Lake Ontario to "something out of Saturday Night Live." Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew criticized Trump’s stance, calling him "very weak" and saying the United States is "out of touch" with cost-of-living concerns.
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said the United States would not simply accept further Canadian retaliation and emphasized that Washington will pursue its own trade policy in what he described as "the best for the United States."