After POTUS threatens 'friendship' levies, PM Carney says EU and Canada are stronger together

STRAUSURG: Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Thursday welcomed the proposal of becoming an "associate member" of the European Union, saying Europe and Canada were stronger together and should deepen ties to protect their citizens' prosperity.

Hours earlier, US President Donald Trump had derided the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's overtures as "laughable" and said he would hit Europe with further tariffs if he deemed the proposal hostile.

"Europe and Canada are each strong. Europe and Canada are even stronger together," Carney told EU lawmakers in Strasbourg. "I am not proposing a third bloc in order to become a great-power rival - only with better manners," he continued. "We do not seek power to dominate others. On the contrary, we are pursuing resilience so that no one can control our open markets, impair our sovereignty, threaten our territorial integrity, or undermine our freedoms, our democracies, our rule of law." Both the EU and Canada have been facing stiff rivalry and pressure from Trump's administration on trade, among other matters, and from an increasingly assertive China.


'Will stop trade with Europe'

Trump threatened late on Wednesday to take action against the EU if it moves forward with von der Leyen's proposal of associate membership for Canada.

"If they do that, if I think it's at all a hostile act, I will put very serious tariffs or stop trading with Europe on many things," Trump told reporters , calling the proposal "laughable".

"If it's a good intention, that's fine. If it's a bad intention, we'll put very heavy tariffs on Europe," he added.