Von der Leyen announced Canada would be bloc’s first associate member

WASHINGTON — President Trump said Wednesday that allowing Canada to become an associate member of the European Union could be a “hostile act” and threatened additional tariffs on European countries.

“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,” Trump said, according to the Wall Street Journal. “So, if they do that, if Europe does that, with a bad intention — if it’s a good intention, that’s fine — if it’s a bad intention, we’ll put very heavy tariffs on Europe.”

The president’s comments came after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told the European Parliament that she would work to make Canada the bloc’s first associate member — a new category of relationship with the bloc. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney attended the address.

In her remarks, von der Leyen said Europe needed to tighten cooperation with “like-minded democracies, in particular Canada,” according to the Wall Street Journal.

Trump dismissed the proposal as “laughable” and described Canada as a “terrible trade partner.” Trump framed his response as conditional, saying the difference between a “good intention” and a “bad intention” would determine whether tariffs followed.

European and Canadian officials have said that while full membership of the EU isn’t an option, they want the closest possible relationship.

The threat comes against a backdrop of rising tariffs between the United States and Canada. Trump has signed orders to ban the importation of many Canadian dairy products, alcoholic beverages, and motorcycles in the coming weeks, a retaliation for Canadian tariffs that took effect. He has also modified the scope of some existing 50% tariffs on Canada, removing levies on cement, road salt, and some hospital products while imposing 50% duties on other goods, including some all-terrain vehicles, boats, and cheeses.

The United States and Canada nearly reached a trade agreement in late August, but the talks fell apart at the last minute. Trump subsequently signed an executive order to rename Lake Ontario, which sits along the U.S.-Canada border, as “Lake America” in federal usage.

The Wall Street Journal earlier reported that Canadian and European officials had been discussing the prospect of associate membership for Canada.