News Brief
Trump Questions US-Canada Border Validity, Floats 1908 Treaty Revisions In Talks With Trudeau
US president Donald Trump.
US President Donald Trump has maintained a tough stance on Canada since returning to the White House, repeatedly threatening tariffs and even suggesting the country could be America’s "51st state."
A New York Times report has now revealed that Trump, during recent call with outgoing Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, questioned the legitimacy of the US-Canada border and proposed revising it.
The report states that Trump and Trudeau spoke twice on 3 February, with discussions focusing on trade tensions and Trump’s long-standing complaints about US-Canada economic relations.
During one of the conversations, Trump reportedly told Trudeau that he did not consider the 1908 treaty, which established the US-Canada border, to be valid.
Signed by then-US President Theodore Roosevelt and King Edward VII of the UK, the treaty established the boundary when Canada was still under British rule.
Trudeau, who will leave office on 9 March, reportedly refuted Trump’s claim, stating that the treaty had been replaced by the Canadian Constitution.
He also reminded Trump that his father, former Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau, played a key role in patriating Canada’s Constitution and establishing the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which ensured full sovereignty over Canadian territory.
Canadian officials reportedly took Trump’s remarks seriously, considering his history of using economic pressure to achieve political objectives.
Since his victory in the November 2024 election, Trump has repeatedly threatened Canada with tariffs and even hinted at annexation.
On Thursday, his administration imposed tariffs of up to 25 per cent on Canadian imports. However, following a sharp negative reaction from financial markets, the move was temporarily paused for a month.
In response, Canada postponed a planned second wave of retaliatory tariffs on $125 billion worth of US goods until 2 April.
Further escalating tensions, Trump recently mocked Trudeau by referring to him as “Governor Trudeau,” accusing him of leveraging the trade dispute to extend his political career.
