'But no longer': Trump singles out Canada in cryptic new warning

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump on Sunday, September 6, declared Canada’s “dollar imbalance” with the United States as unacceptable, adding a new grievance to his months-long confrontation with Ottawa and offering no explanation.

Trump did not specify what the imbalance means, how it should be corrected or what action he may take next.

He made the statement in a Truth Social post, just a few days after discussing Canada’s trade dispute in the Oval Office.

Trump adds a new currency grievance

The new warning comes without a stated dollar figure, policy demand or announced measure. It follows Trump’s Wednesday claim that Canada had taken advantage of the United States for years.

“They need us, we don't need them,” Trump said on Wednesday while discussing whether trade talks with Ottawa would resume. “They've taken advantage of us for years, and it's time to stop.”

In his Sunday post, Trump wrote: “Canada’s (currency) Dollar imbalance with the US is unacceptable. It has been that way for years.”

Then he added a cryptic new warning: "but no longer!"

That exchange also included Trump’s claim that the United States loses “anywhere from $60 to $100 billion” a year in cross-border trade deficits. 

US Trade Representative data put the 2025 goods deficit with Canada at $48.3 billion, while the United States had a $27.7 billion services surplus, leaving a combined gap of roughly $21 billion.

Trump has not tied Sunday’s currency complaint to a specific trade measure. 

The post instead adds the dollar issue to a dispute in which he has already cited tariffs and other economic grievances.

Trump's aircraft tariff threat started with a jet dispute

Trump said Wednesday that his threat to impose a 50% tariff on Canadian aircraft began after a wealthy friend told him a Gulfstream jet could not be certified in Canada.

Trump said Gulfstream had spent “$60 million trying to get certified in Canada” over about nine years. 

He said he responded by threatening “a major tariff on Bombardier and other things that they sent until they're certified.”

Trump also said Prime Minister Mark Carney called him and asked, “President, what seems to be the problem?” 

Trump said he told Carney about the certification issue and threatened tariffs on “various products, including Bombardier.”

Trade tensions continue without a stated next step

The currency warning follows Trump’s Thursday executive order seeking to rename Lake Ontario “Lake America,” another action aimed at a geographical feature shared by the United States and Canada.

Carney said Canada would continue calling it Lake Ontario. 

“Canadians also know that naming reality means calling it Lake Ontario – then, now and always,” he wrote in an X post.

The dispute has also included renewed tariffs. 

Trump imposed 50% tariffs on about $20 billion worth of Canadian goods, while Canada announced “dollar for dollar” retaliatory tariffs of up to 50%, set to take effect Sept 8. 

Canada later said it would pare back some tariffs on seafood and fish products to protect against broader economic harms.

Trump did not say when trade talks with Ottawa would resume. 

On Wednesday, he called Carney a “nice guy” while calling Ontario Premier Doug Ford a “slob.”