Trump threatens EU over ‘hostile’ proposal to make Canada associate member

US President Donald Trump threatened on Wednesday to cut trade with the European Union after the bloc proposed to make Canada its first-ever associate member.

EU chief Ursula von der Leyen raised the prospect a day before Canadian leader Mark Carney was due to address the European Parliament.

Her pitch comes as both Canada and the European Union seek to pivot away from an aggressive US under Trump’s leadership.

“I think it’s laughable,” Trump told reporters when asked about the plan. “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.”