(The Center Square) – Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Tuesday that President Donald Trump wants to damage the Canadian economy to make it easier to annex the country to the U.S.

Trudeau's comments came as the two countries traded barbs and economic tariffs after Trump imposed a 25% tariff on Canadian imports. Trump has said the tariffs will remain in place until Canada and Mexico tighten border security to reduce the flow of migrants and illegal drugs, particularly fentanyl, a potent opioid responsible for most overdose deaths in the U.S. Trump has also said he wants to shift taxes away from Americans and onto other countries.

Trudeau said Trump wants to sink the Canadian economy so that the president can add Canada as America's 51st state.

"What he wants is to see a total collapse of the Canadian economy," he said. "Because that will make it easier to annex us."

Trump has taken to calling Trudeau "governor" and repeatedly expressed a desire to make Canada part of the U.S.

Trudeau said Canada has no plans to become part of its southern neighbor.

"Canada will never be the 51st state," the prime minister said.

Tariffs are taxes on imported goods paid by the importer, which are often passed along to consumers through higher prices on the imported products.