U.S. President Donald Trump again stated that Canada could eventually become the 51st U.S. state, linking this to trade relations between the two countries.
He made this statement on October 14 during a campaign rally in Bullhead City, Arizona.
“Eventually, they’ll become the 51st state, because that’s the only way it works. We don’t need them, but they need us. And why should we lose $80 billion, $90 billion, $100 billion a year to support a country that isn’t part of us?” Trump said.
Prior to this, the U.S. president accused Canada of pursuing a harsh tariff policy and stated that Canadian automakers are moving production to the U.S. to avoid American tariffs. After mentioning the possibility of making Canada the 51st state, Trump also drew a parallel with Greenland.
However, the $80–100 billion figure he cited does not correspond to official data on the trade balance between the two countries. According to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, in 2025, the U.S. trade deficit in goods with Canada stood at $48.3 billion. At the same time, the U.S. had a trade surplus in services with Canada of $27.7 billion. Total trade in goods and services between the two countries was estimated at $872.3 billion.
Trump repeatedly returned to the idea of making Canada a U.S. state after his return to the White House. In May 2025, during a meeting in Washington, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney stated outright that the country was “not for sale” and would never be sold. In response, Trump said at the time, “Never say never.”
The U.S. remains Canada’s main trading partner. According to the USTR, more than three-quarters of Canadian merchandise exports go to the U.S. market, while nearly half of Canada’s imports come from the U.S. The economies of the two countries are particularly closely linked in the automotive industry, the energy sector, and cross-border supply chains.
