US President Donald Trump is seen on a giant screen during his address by video conference at the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos on January 23, 2025.

President Donald Trump reportedly elicited gasps from the international crowd gathered at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Thursday when he suggested that Canada could become a US state in order to avoid the sweeping tariffs he wants to impose.

In his first major speech as the 47th president, Trump reiterated many of his economic priorities and claims that the US is treated “very unfairly” on trade by other nations. He spoke virtually from Washington, a live video feed splashed above the heads of panelists onstage in Switzerland.

Trump singled out Canada for a special warning: “As you probably know, I say, you can always become a state. And if you’re a state, we won’t have a deficit. We won’t have to tariff you.”

The BBC’s Faisal Islam

© HuffPost