‘We’re only hurting ourselves’: Colorado governor defends Canada amid trade war, annexation threats

Colorado Governor Jared Polis says 'we’re only hurting ourselves if the U.S. continues down this path' as Trump's trade war with Canada continues.

As a cross-border trade war progresses and U.S. President Donald Trump persists in his threats to make Canada a state, Colorado’s governor is pushing back in support of his northern neighbour.

In a show of unity, Jared Polis proclaimed March 15 as Colorado-Canada Friendship Day, raising the Canadian flag and lighting up the state capitol with white and red.

“There is a lot of love and support from the people of the United States for our friends and allies in Canada. And just as in Canada, many folks are dismayed by the words of our president,” he told host Vassy Kapelos in an interview on CTV’s Power Play Monday. “Many people continue to be just as worried about taking on our friends and siding with our enemies.”

Canada is Colorado’s biggest trading partner, with the state exporting $1.8 billion dollars in goods and produce to Canada in 2023 — a fifth of Colorado’s trade exports, according to the Governor’s office. Meanwhile, Colorado imported about $5.5 billion worth of goods from Canada in that same year.

When asked about the impacts of tariffs on Colorado’s economy, Polis said the likely outcome will be a recession in both Canada and the U.S.

“Effectively, our president is saying, ‘Watch as I stab myself.’ And yes, the blood goes on our trading partners as well. It hurts both Canada and the United States,” he said.

In addition to driving prices up and discouraging investments on both sides of the border, Polis also added it emboldens geopolitical adversaries like China, because it interferes with a North American integrated supply chain. Consequently, he warns a trade war will drive manufacturing overseas from both Canada and the United States.

“Most parts and materials are sourced internationally. We send products just as they do from Canada to international markets. We’re only hurting ourselves,” he said. “When it comes to costly tariffs and trade wars, it’s simply a lose-lose scenario.”

Since former prime minister Justin Trudeau’s visit to Mar-a-Lago in November, Trump has repeatedly called to make Canada the 51st U.S. state. When asked by Kapelos what he makes of the president’s comments, Polis indicated Colorado stands in support of Canada.

“Us here in Colorado, in the United States, we don’t know what to make of our president’s words in that regard, either,” he said. “I can tell you, certainly from the perspective of Colorado, we value our relationship with a sovereign nation of Canada.”

You can watch CTV Power Play’s full interview with Colorado Governor Jared Polis at the top of this article.