Trump Calls Canada EU Membership Idea Laughable

President Donald Trump slammed the idea of Canada joining the European Union as an associate member, calling the prospect laughable. He warned that if he viewed such a move with bad intention, the United States would slap very heavy tariffs on Europe or halt trade entirely. Reporters asked him about this specific development Wednesday. His reply was blunt. "I think it's laughable," Trump said. He added that if the action felt hostile, serious tariffs would follow on many goods.

"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," he stated. The President also labeled Canada a terrible trade partner during his remarks. This tension follows the collapse of U.S.-Canada trade talks last month, which sparked a back-and-forth series of tariff measures between two of North America's biggest trading partners.

While Trump lashed out, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen pushed for a different path. She proposed Wednesday that Canada become the EU's first associate member as leaders work toward a deeper economic and security partnership. Speaking with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney present, von der Leyen said she wanted to open that door. "I would like to work with you on opening the door for Canada to be the first associate member of the EU," she told reporters.

The proposal aims to move beyond the current CETA trade agreement into what von der Leyen calls an Alliance for the Future. This new partnership seeks a shared space for prosperity and economic security. It would cover manufacturing, technology, defense, energy, critical minerals, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and the Arctic. Canada is actively hunting for fresh trading opportunities outside its long-standing reliance on the United States. Carney plans to speak at the European Parliament Thursday. He has promised to double Canada's trade with non-U.S. nations over the next decade while building a unique alliance with Europe rather than seeking full membership.

Historically, the EU hesitates around flexible alliances that lack a clear legal status. Any decision on associate membership for Canada would rest with individual EU member states. This diplomatic push arrives as Trump escalates his own trade war with Canada. On the same day he criticized Brussels, his administration signed a presidential memorandum ordering federal officials to find Canadian-made products they could remove from civilian government buying lists.

The White House claims Canada erects barriers that hurt American firms seeking government contracts while letting Canadian businesses access parts of the U.S. federal procurement market. They pointed specifically to Canada's Buy Canadian policy and rules set by various provinces as proof of unfairness. According to the administration, Canadian companies currently tap into more than $280 billion in annual U.S. federal procurement under World Trade Organization rules. The Trump team said it would act against practices they call unreasonable, discriminatory, and unfair. Fox Business' Bradford Betz contributed to this report.