US President Donald Trump has sharply increased pressure on Canada amid a worsening trade conflict between the two countries, calling Canadian leaders "clowns" and warning of far more severe economic consequences if Ottawa does not change its position, reports Portal Open4business.
Trump published a corresponding statement on August 24, 2026 in Truth Social after a new exchange of accusations with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Prime Minister of the province of Ontario by Doug Ford.
"America has dragged Canada along for decades, but it won't happen again," the US president wrote. At the end of the message, he called for the Canadian leadership to "stand up" or the consequences for the country will be "much worse".
Trump was particularly harsh against Doug Ford, who had previously threatened to use the supply of electricity and critical minerals to the US as a response to US tariffs.
The US president also said that Canada is economically dependent on the US and noted that much of the electricity, oil and gas that the country receives transported through American territory.
However, official statistics show a more complex picture. The energy systems of the two countries are indeed extremely closely linked, but Canada remains a large net exporter of energy resources to the US.
According to the Canadian Energy Regulator, in 2025 Canada exported CAD157.5 billion worth of oil, petroleum products, natural gas and gas condensate to the US, while importing only CAD34.4 billion from the US.
About 90.8% of Canadian exports of hydrocarbons were directed specifically to the USA. In particular, Canada exported 4.3 million barrels of oil per day, of which about 3.9 million barrels went to the American market.
In the opposite direction, Canada imported about 0.5 million barrels of oil per day, with about 76% of these supplies coming to the United States. Canada is also a large net exporter of natural gas, supplying about 8.6 bcm in 2025. feet of gas per day, almost entirely to the USA, while simultaneously importing 2.5 billion cubic meters. feet per day, mainly from the USA.
The electric power systems of the two countries are also integrated. In 2025, Canada exported 32.7 TWh of electricity to the US and imported 22.1 TWh. At the same time, all of Canada's international electricity trade is with the United States.
Thus, Trump's statements are justified in terms of the high dependence of the Canadian economy on the American transport and energy infrastructure, but Canada is at the same time one of the most important suppliers of energy resources for the United States itself. In 2025, it provided 63.4% of US crude oil imports, almost 100% of natural gas imports and 81.3% of the electricity imported by the US.
Trump's statements came after the failure of US-Canadian trade negotiations.
The US has already imposed 50% tariffs on approximately $20 billion of Canadian goods, and on August 24, Trump additionally threatened to increase tariffs to 50% on all cars, trucks and auto parts imported from Canada starting January 1, 2027.
Washington had previously offered to reduce tariffs on Canadian cars and light trucks from 25% to 15%, and on steel and aluminum from 50% to 25%, within the framework of the agreement, but negotiations broke down due to a number of disagreements.
Canada prepares measures in response. Ottawa announced the introduction of tariffs in response to American goods on September 8, and the provincial government does not rule out the use of energy and critical minerals as additional pressure tools.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford said that in the event of further escalation, "everything is on the table", including limiting the supply of electricity and strategic raw materials. According to him, electricity from Ontario provides about 1.5 million homes and businesses in the USA.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, for his part, said that Ottawa is ready to return to negotiations only if Canada is treated as a sovereign partner and not as a dependent territory of the USA.
Trade relations between the two countries remain one of the largest in the world. In 2025, the turnover of goods and services between the United States and Canada was about $872.3 billion, while approximately three-quarters of Canadian merchandise exports went to the American market.
At the same time, another statement made in Trump's message is not supported by official statistics. The President of the United States said that unemployment in Canada has reached 10%, while according to the latest data from Statistics Canada, it was 6.4% in July 2026, the lowest level in two years.
