As the Canadian government hits back at the United States over new tariffs imposed last week, the countries' economic relationship is in the spotlight. US President Donald Trump started his week with a series of Truth Social posts taking aim at Canada's economy and trade policies. But many of the posts contain inaccuracies about Canadian unemployment, tariffs and trade deficits. Here is a look at some of those claims.
THE CLAIM
In one of the posts shared on Trump’s Truth Social account on Monday, he claims that Canada conducts 95 per cent of its business with the US and that the country is dependent on the US market.
“Canada will be treated like a State no longer! On Trade, and in other ways, also, they are among the worst Nations in the World to deal with. They feel entitled, and yet, WE DON’T NEED CANADA, THEY NEED US,” he says.
THE FACTS
While the majority of Canada's exports do go to the United States, the figure is nowhere near 95 per cent. Recent data from Statistics Canada put the percentage of merchandise exports to the United States at 71.7 per cent in 2025, down from 75.9 per cent in 2024. The downward trend appears to be continuing in 2026, with Scotiabank reporting a drop to 70 per cent through June.
A White House news release Tuesday claiming Canada "could not survive" without the United States did not repeat the 95 per cent figure. It instead cited 2024 data to say "Canada sends roughly three-quarters of all its goods exports to America."
At the same time,...
As the Canadian government hits back at the United States over new tariffs imposed last week, the countries' economic relationship is in the spotlight. US President Donald Trump started his week w...