U.S. President Donald Trump has reignited his provocative idea that Canada should join the United States as its 51st state — comments he tied to defence cooperation and ongoing trade disputes.

Speaking Tuesday to senior military officials in Virginia, Trump said Canada could be covered by the U.S.’s new Golden Dome missile defence system if it joined the United States.

“Canada called me a couple of weeks ago. They want to be part of it. To which I said, well, why don’t you just join our country? Become the 51st state and you get it for free,” Trump said.

Trump admitted he wasn’t sure how seriously Canadian officials took the suggestion, but added: “To me, joining the two countries makes a lot of sense.”

Carney pushes back

Prime Minister Mark Carney has already swatted down the idea in past exchanges with Trump. During their first face-to-face meeting in May, Carney quipped:

“As a property developer, he should know some places are never for sale. Canada is not for sale, ever.”

Carney later told reporters he privately asked Trump to stop with the “51st state” taunts, repeating emphatically: “Never, never, never, never, never.”

Trump’s renewed rhetoric comes as his administration pursues higher tariffs on Canadian lumber and furniture, moves that Ottawa says are straining bilateral relations.

Defence backdrop

Trump’s latest remarks were also linked to his ambitious Golden Dome defence system, aimed at countering missiles, drones, and aerial threats. He has previously said Canada would need to contribute $71 billion US to be part of it, unless it became part of the United States.

Carney, speaking at the G7 in June, suggested Canada may instead explore an extension of NORAD, the long-standing binational air defence alliance, rather than Trump’s separate initiative.

Mixed signals from Washington

Just days ago, U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra downplayed the talk, insisting:

“That kind of rhetoric is in the past. I’ve got no direction to continue a dialogue on the 51st state. It hasn’t been in play for months.”

Trump, however, ended his remarks with a characteristically open-ended line:

“Never say never. It takes two to tango.”

Canadian wood product exporters are bracing for another economic hit after U.S. President Donald Trump announced steep new tariffs on lumber, timber, and furniture imports.

Under a presidential proclamation signed Monday, the U.S. will impose a 10% duty on lumber and timber and 25% on kitchen cabinets, bathroom vanities, and upholstered furniture, effective Oct. 14, 2025. Tariffs will rise again on Jan. 1, 2026 — up to 30% on upholstered wooden products and 50% on cabinets and vanities for countries without trade agreements with Washington.

Trump justified the duties under Section 232 of the Trade Act of 1974, arguing that foreign wood imports weaken U.S. national security by undermining domestic supply chains for defence-related materials.

“Because of the state of the United States wood industry, the United States may be unable to meet demands for wood products that are crucial to national defence,” the proclamation said.

A blow to Canada’s industry

The move is particularly punishing for Canada, America’s top softwood lumber supplier, already facing combined anti-dumping and anti-subsidy tariffs of about 35%.

Ottawa previously pledged $1.2 billion in aid for Canadian producers caught in the long-running trade dispute, but industry leaders warn the new tariffs could trigger closures.

James McKenna, owner of Glenwood Kitchen in Shediac, N.B., said the 25% cabinet duty threatens his U.S. business:

“Anything above 25 per cent is not doable and will ultimately shut down the industry shipping to the United States.”

Brian Menzies of the Independent Wood Processors Association of B.C. echoed that warning:

“Our industry has already been devastated… We’re being told we’re a national security concern. It’s getting more and more ludicrous.”

Winners and losers

Some U.S. allies will see softer penalties. Imports from Britain will face a maximum of 10%, while shipments from the EU and Japan will be capped at 15%.

But no exemptions were announced for Canada, Mexico, or Vietnam, despite recent trade talks.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has opposed the tariffs, warning they will raise construction costs and undermine U.S. paper and wood product industries.

For Canadian producers, though, the stakes are immediate: an industry already navigating inflation, supply chain shocks, and years of tariff battles now faces what one operator called “the blow that could finally break us.”