'Hostile act': Trump livid as EU mulls making Canada its first 'associate member'

The proposal comes as Canada looks to reduce its dependence on the United States following Trump's tariffs and repeated remarks about making Canada the 51st US state.

Von der Leyen said the EU and Canada would build on their existing free trade agreement, known as CETA, through a wider partnership called the "Alliance for the Future".

The proposed arrangement would aim to create "a common prosperity and economic security space."