President-elect Donald Trump has called on Mexico and Canada to become U.S. states if they want to receive subsidies.
He stressed that the United States should not subsidize countries that are not part of the United States.
Trump called for a return to fair playing field, according to an article in Newsweek magazine.
He recalled that the United States subsidizes Mexico by almost $300 billion a year, and Canada by $100 billion a year.
Trump also threatened to impose a high tariff on imports from these countries to prevent the flow of migrants and drugs into the United States.
If subsidized, Mexico and Canada should become part of the United States, Trump said on NBC News.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told Trump that the tariff plans were bad for Canada. The Republican responded that maybe Canada should become the 51st state.
Currently, the United States, Canada and Mexico have a duty-free agreement in most cases.
The 25% tariffs Trump wants could potentially lead to higher prices for goods in the US.
