Trump offered Canada to become the 51st U.S. state for the sake of eliminating duties

If Canada wants to achieve tax cuts and not pay customs duties, it should join the United States as the 51st state, US President Donald Trump said on February 2. The politician noted that the United States has not a single reason to pay hundreds of billions of dollars to subsidize Canada.

"We don't need any of the things they have. We have unlimited energy, we have to make our own cars, we have more wood than we will ever be able to use," Truth Social wrote on its social media page

Trump added that without huge U.S. subsidies, Canada would simply lose its viability.

"Tough, but it's a fact! This is why Canada must become our cherished 51st state. That means much lower taxes and much better military protection for the people of Canada - and no customs duties," the politician concluded.

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The U.S. president-elect is returning to a policy of seizing territory and resources, experts believe

Earlier on Feb. 1, Trump signed an executive order imposing trade tariffs on goods from Canada, China and Mexico. According to him, Canada is responsible for significant amounts of drug smuggling into the US. In response, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the country had an equal, strong and reasonable response to Trump's imposition of duties.

On the same day, Trudeau said that Canadian authorities are imposing retaliatory duties of 25% on goods from the U.S. totaling $155 billion, which will include immediate duties on $30 billion worth of goods starting Tuesday, February 4.

Fans of Canadian hockey clubs Ottawa and Calgary on February 1 booed the U.S. anthem during National Hockey League (NHL) games against rival teams to protest Trump's imposition of duties.