President Trump targets EU trade; still floating the idea of Canada being the 51st U.S State

This week, President Donald Trump flexed the power of the U.S. when it comes to trade. Mexico and Canada made concessions to avoid tariffs, and now Trump is looking at the European Union.

“Well, we have massive deficits with the European Union, massive like $350 billion, if you can believe it,” Pres. Trump said. “They don’t take our farm products. They don’t take our cars.”

Trump says the EU has abused the U.S. for years, and that needs to change. He also repeated the notion that it could be in Canada‘s best interest to become the 51st state of the United States, saying they have a lot more to lose than we do.

“Why are we willing to lose between $100 billion and $200 billion a year?” Trump said. “We don’t need that. As a state, it’s different, and there are no tariffs. I’d love to see that, but some people say that would be a long shot. If people wanted to play the game right, it would be 100% certain that they become a state.”

This week, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau offered concessions to keep the tariffs at bay for at least a month. President Trump is expected to keep in talks with Canada and Mexico over the next 30 days.

Related Stories
Today’s Firm to Farm blog post by RFD-TV legal and tax expert Roger McEowen provides a brief summary of the “One, Big, Beautiful Bill.” If passed in its current form, the legislation would represent the largest tax cuts in history.
China will reduce its tariffs from 125% to 10%. In return, the U.S. will lower tariffs on most Chinese goods from 145% to 30%.

LATEST STORIES BY THIS AUTHOR:

In a post to social media, Trump said Venezuela will buy American agriculture products and will use the money from oil sales to make it happen.
Federal nutrition policy is signaling a stronger demand for whole foods produced by U.S. farmers and ranchers. Consumer-facing guidance favors animal protein, but institutional demand may change little under existing saturated fat limits.
Farmer Bridge payments are being used primarily to reduce debt and protect cash flow, not drive new spending. Curt Blades with the Association of Equipment Manufacturers joined us to provide insight into the ag equipment market and the factors influencing sales.
Wed, 1/21/26 – 7:30 PM ET
University of Nebraska President Dr. Jeffrey Gold joined us to share insights on building healthy habits and improving rural health in the year ahead.
Dr. Rosslyn Biggs with the Oklahoma State University Center for Rural Veterinary Medicine shares insight into biosecurity, preparedness, and animal health concerns facing livestock producers as New World screwworm outbreaks continue in Mexico.