Gov. JB Pritzker invites Canadians to vacation in Illinois despite Trump's trade war
Gov. JB Pritzker is inviting more Canadians to vacation in Illinois.
Pritzker said he can't blame anyone from Canada whose appetite for visiting the U.S. has sourced with the trade war.
President Trump imposed a 25% import tariff on goods from Canada not covered by the USMCA trade agreement that began on March 4. The president claimed the tariff is punishment for the entrance of fentanyl and migrants in the U.S. last year.
But, Pritzker said, Illinois is not like every other state.
"Our state is ready for visitors from all over the world and particular from our neighbor to the north," the governor said. "There's a big orange elephant int eh room for sure, but here in Illinois we're ready and eager to prove that 'Midwest nice' is the closest thing to Canadian hospitality you can get south of Windsor."
Trump has also spoken repeatedly about making Canada the 51st state but has drawn the line at saying he'd use military force to do so.
Former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and new Prime Minster Mark Carney have rebuffed the president's overtures for statehood, emphasizing the country is "not for sale." The president's territorial threats against Canada along with the tariffs appeared to play a role in a huge political turnaround for the Liberal Party in Canada's last election, which brought Carney into his leadership role.
Pritzker's office said 600,000 Canadians visit Illinois each year.
