Trump Urges Canadian Companies to Move to US to Avoid Tariffs

U.S. President Donald Trump on Aug. 30 urged Canadian companies that do business with the United States to move their operations south of the border to avoid tariffs.

“Let all Canadian Companies that are doing business with America move to the United States, immediately,” he wrote in a Truth Social post.

“Many of them are Companies that moved out years ago due to stupid U.S. Leadership. When you move back, there are no TARIFFS!”

The United States imposed 50 percent tariffs on a range of Canadian exports, including electronics, alcohol, dairy, paper, plastics, and furniture after trade talks collapsed on Aug. 21. Canada responded by imposing counter-tariffs on U.S. steel, aluminum, dairy, and other goods.

Trump said in a separate post on Aug. 30 that his tariff policies to address trade imbalances have helped revive America’s automobile industry, citing Ford’s continued operations in Detroit as an example.

He noted that Ford was prepared to close its factory in Detroit during the 2024 presidential election but later kept it operating after Trump took the lead in the polls.

“Now, it’s running 24/7, and it’s one of the most profitable Car Plants in the World,” he said.

“There are many other examples, for both Ford, General Motors, and others. I’ve revived, and indeed saved, the Automobile Business in our America. That’s because of what I’ve done with TARIFFS.”

Trump called Canada “one of the worst abusers” in trade and said that he intends to use tariffs to curb the country’s unfair trade practices. The president said he opposes importing automobile parts from Canada.

“I don’t want Canadian cars, I don’t want Canadian parts, I don’t want Canadian anything. They’ve been ripping us off for decades, and it’s going to stop,” he wrote.

“I deal with the Leadership of many Countries, but I find Canada to be the worst. They are entitled no longer!”

Canada is one of the United States’ largest trading partners, with more than three-quarters of its exports going to the United States and nearly half of its imports coming from the country, according to the Office of U.S. Trade Representative. The agency said that U.S.–Canada goods trade totaled an estimated $715.5 billion last year.

Washington has said the new tariffs on Aug. 22 were in response to Canada’s dairy supply management system, provincial bans on U.S. alcohol sales, and retaliatory tariffs on U.S. autos. Trump had initially paused them for three days to allow for further trade negotiations.

After trade talks failed on Aug. 21, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said it was due to last-minute changes by Washington to omit medium- and heavy-duty Canadian trucks from tariff relief, U.S. objections to Canada’s French-language protection laws, and the White House wanting restrictions on Canada’s trade terms with other countries.

U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer accused Canada on Aug. 21 of making “new demands and walk-backs of other commitments,” leading to the collapse of the talks.

Jennifer Cowan contributed to this report.