U.S. President Donald Trump announced on the 3rd that he would impose a 25% tariff on all imports from Canada starting on the 4th (local time). Canada is one of the United States' largest trading partners, but there is growing interest in why Trump has turned his back on Canada after contemplating breaking relations.
Trump was friendly toward Canada before entering politics. In 2012, when former U.S. President Barack Obama's administration postponed a decision to approve the Keystone XL pipeline transporting oil from Canada to the United States, Trump stated on social media that 'we should harness resources and support allies like Canada' and argued that the project should continue.
However, in 2015, the failure of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), a free trade agreement signed by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, became a key issue in Trump's first presidential campaign, changing his stance toward Canada. Trump claimed that NAFTA was 'a disaster for American workers' and said that if he won the presidency, dismantling the NAFTA agreement would be his top priority.
Another factor cited is Trump's failed hotel business in Canada. Trump started a hotel business in Canada but was unsuccessful. The 'Trump International Hotel and Tower,' which bore Trump's name, opened in downtown Toronto in 2012. The Trump family was in charge of the operation, and dozens of investors participated. However, after experiencing incidents such as falling windows immediately after its opening, the hotel eventually closed in 2016.
There are also claims that Trump is coveting minerals buried in Canada. According to The New York Times (NYT), Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau noted in a meeting with corporations in February that 'the Trump administration not only knows how many critical minerals we (Canada) have, but it is also likely the reason they keep talking about making us the 61st state' and added, 'they want to benefit from those resources.'
NYT reported that 'there is widespread curiosity in Canada about why Trump continues to belittle an neighboring country and threatens to destabilize the economy with tariffs,' adding that 'theories range from Trump still being angry about the failure of his hotel business in Canada to speculation that Trump may have developed a grudge against the handsome Canadian Prime Minister after seeing a photo from the 2019 G7 meeting in France, where Trudeau was seen being friendly with Melania Trump.'