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OTTAWA — U.S. President Donald Trump’s latest swipe at Canada in virtual remarks to the World Economic Forum, telling attendees that the U.S. economy could get along just fine without Canadian imports, drew a skeptical response from Canadian leaders.

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“We don’t need them to make our cars… we don’t need their lumber, because we have our own forests… we don’t need their oil and gas, we have more than anybody,” said Trump, speaking remotely from Washington, D.C., to the forum in Davos, Switzerland.

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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, in Ottawa for a caucus retreat, was quick to wave off Trump’s words as empty rhetoric.

Trudeau told reporters that Trump does, in fact, need Canada’s exports if he wants to make good on his campaign promise to deliver unprecedented prosperity to Americans.

“President Trump has announced that he wants a golden age for the American economy,” said Trudeau.

“That means they’re going to need more energy, more minerals… more of the things that Canada is already sending them as a reliable and trustworthy partner.”

In his first speech to the WEF since his first presidency ended in early 2021, Trump repeated talking points painting Canada as a self-serving trade partner, taking advantage of U.S. generosity.

“Canada’s been very tough to deal with over the years, and it’s not fair that we should have a 200 or 250 billion dollar (trade) deficit,” said Trump, referring to the small trade imbalance created by U.S. demand for Canadian energy exports.

Trump also repeated his now expected line about Canada becoming the 51st state of the U.S.

“As you probably know, I say you can always become a state and then if you’re a state we won’t have a deficit, we won’t have to tariff you,” Trump said.

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Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly said she remained focused on finding a diplomatic path toward averting a cross-border trade war.

“First and foremost, our engagement with the U.S. continues,” Joly told reporters.

Joly said that she spoke to newly confirmed U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio for 30 minutes on Wednesday, making the case that tariffs would have negative economic consequences for both Canada and the U.S.

She also revealed that she will be heading to Washington next week to meet with Rubio and other high-ranking Republicans.

Joly said Canada will participate in the process Trump set forth in a day one executive order directing U.S. federal agencies to re-examine the country’s trade relationships with China and its North American neighbours.

Former finance minister Chrystia Freeland, currently a contender to succeed Trudeau as the next prime minister in March, warned that it would be a mistake to take Trump’s words too lightly.

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“We cannot ignore what President Trump is doing,” said Freeland. “This is a president who has a majority in the Senate, who has a majority in Congress and who has really, really radical plans.”

“He wants to change the United States… He wants to change the world.”

Freeland said she was up to the challenge of fighting Trump’s America First agenda, pointing to her track record as Canada’s lead trade negotiator during the first Trump presidency.

“I am the person who is ready to defend Canada,” Freeland told reporters.

One politician who wasn’t too concerned by Trump’s rhetoric was Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, who just got back from a five-day stay in Washington, D.C., on Thursday.

“In a negotiation, both sides will say all kinds of things and use different tactics,” said Smith spokesman Sam Blackett in a statement to the media.

“It’s important when this happens to remain calm and diplomatic while continuing to carry out Alberta’s and Canada’s strategy. The premier will continue to do so.”

National Post, with files from Catherine Lévesque
rmohamed@postmedia.com

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