The US president called the plan ‘laughable’, suggesting he could impose more tariffs or stop trading with Europe if it were implemented
3-MIN READ3-MIN1 ListenAgence France-PressePublished: 8:00am, 17 Sep 2026US President Donald Trump threatened on Wednesday to cut trade with the European Union after the bloc proposed to make Canada its first-ever associate member.
EU chief Ursula von der Leyen raised the prospect a day before Canadian leader Mark Carney was due to address the European Parliament.
Her pitch comes as both Canada and the European Union seek to pivot away from an aggressive US under Trump’s leadership.
“I think it’s laughable,” Trump told reporters when asked about the plan. “If they do that, if I think it’s at all a hostile act, I will put very serious tariffs or stop trading with Europe, on many things.”
