Trump threatens EU with new tariffs if Canada becomes an associate member of the bloc

US President Donald Trump has issued a public warning to the European Union, threatening new import tariffs on EU-origin goods should the bloc decide to grant Canada "associate member" status.

A conditional warning

Trump has explicitly tied the potential new tariffs to a specific political scenario — an EU decision to draw Canada closer to the bloc through associate membership status. The president gave no further details on how large the new tariffs would be, which sectors they would affect, or when they might take effect.

Context

The statement comes as the US administration continues to use trade tariffs as a pressure tool in its relations with several trading partners, including the European Union and Canada. It is not known whether the EU and Canada are currently holding formal talks about such an associate member status, but Trump apparently views the possibility as real enough to warrant a public warning.

Neither the European Union nor Canada has publicly responded to the threat so far. It also remains unclear whether the statement is part of a broader US trade policy strategy or an isolated remark made in a specific context.