Alberta's premier responds to Trump's trolling by saying Canada's oil helps make America wealthy

[December 19, 2024]  By ROB GILLIES

TORONTO (AP) — Alberta's premier responded to President-elect Donald Trump's trolling of Canada on Wednesday by saying the trade deficit with the country is due to billions in raw materials being sent south which creates trillions of wealth in America.

Trump said the United States “subsidizes” Canada and is threating a 25% tariff on all Canadian goods.

“No one can answer why we subsidize Canada to the tune of over $100,000,000 a year? Makes no sense!,” Trump posted on Truth Social on Wednesday. ”Many Canadians want Canada to become the 51st State. They would save massively on taxes and military protection. I think it is a great idea. 51st State!!!”

The premier of oil rich Alberta, Danielle Smith, ignored Trump's latest “51st state” trolling and endeavored to answer his question.

"Fair question on the trade deficit with Canada Mr. President @realDonaldTrump - the reason for this is because Canada (especially Alberta) sends billions of raw materials (oil, gas, minerals, grain, livestock, timber, etc) to your U.S. refineries and factories which your great American companies and workers upgrade and sell around the world, including back to Canada (we are your biggest customer by a mile)," Smith posted on X.

Alberta sends 4.3 million barrels of oil and gas to the U.S each day.

Smith said millions of American jobs and companies rely “on these affordable raw materials from Canada to make trillions of dollars of wealth in your country.”

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith wears a cowboy hat during the Calgary Stampede parade in Calgary, Friday, July 7, 2023. (Jeff McIntosh /The Canadian Press via AP, File)

About 60% of U.S. crude oil imports and 85% of U.S. electricity imports are from Canada.

Canada’s ambassador to Washington, Kirsten Hillman, has said the U.S. had a $75 billion trade deficit with Canada last year. But she noted a third of what Canada sells into the U.S. are energy exports and said there is a deficit when oil prices are high.

“We are one-tenth the size of the United States so a balanced trade deal would mean per capita we are buying 10 times more from the U.S. than they are buying from us. If that’s his metric we will certainly engage on that,” Hillman told The AP recently.

Smith said she will attend Trump's inauguration. Her comments come a day after Ontario Premier Doug Ford said Trump’s plan to impose sweeping 25% tariffs on all Canada products would be a “disaster” that would hurt U.S. stock markets.

Canada is also the largest foreign supplier of steel, aluminum and uranium to the U.S. and has 34 critical minerals and metals that the Pentagon is eager for.

Nearly $3.6 billion Canadian dollars ($2.7 billion) worth of goods and services cross the border each day. Canada is the top export destination for 36 U.S. states.

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