{"text":[[{"start":9.68,"text":"Donald Trump said if the EU approved Canada’s bid for “associate membership” he might consider it a “hostile act” and threatened to impose “very serious tariffs” on the bloc."}],[{"start":20,"text":"“If they do that, if I think it’s at all a hostile act, I will put very serious tariffs or stop trading with Europe on many things,” Trump told reporters in North Carolina, where he participated in a rally for a Republican Senate candidate Michael Whatley on Wednesday evening."}],[{"start":36.72,"text":"Any fresh US levies on the EU would breach the trade deal agreed by Washington and Brussels last year and risk a rapid escalation in economic hostility between the two sides."}],[{"start":47.96,"text":"European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen backed Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s proposal for Ottawa to become an associate member of the EU in her annual speech to the European parliament on Wednesday."}],[{"start":59.72,"text":"“I said we must urgently reimagine our partnerships. So, I would like to work with you on opening the door for Canada to being the first associate member of the European Union,” von der Leyen said, with Carney in the audience."}],[{"start":73.12,"text":"The Canadian prime minister is expected to deliver his own remarks to the body on Thursday."}],[{"start":78.2,"text":"Carney has called for closer co-operation between midsized nations to hedge against China’s influence as well as the instability wrought by Trump’s tariffs and threats against Nato."}],[{"start":88.96,"text":"The US and Canada have been locked in a bitter trade war after the Trump administration announced wide-ranging 50 per cent tariffs on imports of Canadian goods over the summer, accusing Ottawa of engaging in unfair trade practices."}],[{"start":102.76,"text":"Talks between US and Canadian officials aimed at reaching an agreement over tariffs on cars, steel and aluminium dramatically collapsed last month and have not formally restarted."}],[{"start":113.52,"text":"US officials have blamed Carney for blowing up the deal in the eleventh hour, while Canadian officials accused the US of failing to offer enough concessions, notably on cutting truck tariffs."}],[{"start":124.16,"text":"The EU has no mechanism for associate membership, meaning the proposal would need the unanimous approval of the bloc’s 27 member states."}],[{"start":132.2,"text":"Several capitals have expressed reservations about the proposal. In addition to concerns about Trump’s reaction, some nations are wary of granting Ottawa preferential treatment beyond existing trade and investment partnerships."}],[{"start":144.7,"text":"In an interview with the FT on Monday, Carney called on Europe to deepen its economic co-operation with Canada as Ottawa tries to break its dependence on the US following the collapse of trade talks."}],[{"start":155.94,"text":"He called on the 10 EU member states that have not yet ratified the bloc’s nine-year-old trade deal with Canada to do so, saying closer ties would make all sides “more resilient, more independent” and more prosperous."}],[{"start":173.64,"text":""}]],"url":"https://audio.ftcn.net.cn/album/a_1789609949_8048.mp3"}