Fact File: Trump makes misleading claims about Canada-U.S. trade, economy

The Canadian government has responded to President Donald Trump's recent misleading claims about the Canada-U.S. trade relationship and economy. Trump's Truth Social posts contained inaccuracies about Canadian unemployment rates, tariffs, and trade deficits. One post claimed Canada conducts 95% of its business with the U.S., but Statistics Canada data shows that exports to the U.S. were actually 71.7% in 2025, down from 75.9% in 2024.

Another claim stated that Canada's unemployment rate is at 10%, but Statistics Canada's July 2026 Labour Force Survey shows it is actually 6.4%, the lowest rate since July 2024. Trump also falsely stated that Canada historically charged 400% tariffs on American farmers, causing a $60 billion loss for the U.S. in the past decade.

However, Canada does have high tariffs for certain agricultural products under the USMCA agreement, but there is no flat rate of 400% for any product.