"Without us, there's no way they can survive," the US president said.
Trump made the remarks at a meeting with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun at the White House on Tuesday.
Trump stressed that he loved Canada and its people, but said the Canadian leadership had treated the US badly for decades.
Trump also rejected the suggestion the new tariffs were linked to the Canadian wildfires. Smoke from the fires repeatedly drifts into the northern US, affecting air quality.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said he and Trump agreed to intensify negotiations on a trade agreement between Canada, the US and Mexico after the US president announced 50 per cent tariffs on most Canadian goods.
The new tariffs were scheduled to come into effect 30 days from Monday.
"I spoke this morning with the US president and we agreed to deepen and speed up our negotiations over the next few weeks," Carney said in Ottawa.
"Canada will do all that is necessary to support our jobs, our workers, our farmers and to make Canada stronger, more independent and more resilient."
The tariffs could unleash a new wave of economic chaos, with risks of higher inflation and further fraying of relations between two nations that previously had warm, close ties before Trump's return to the White House.
An administration official said Canada was one of the only nations other than China that retaliated against Trump's previous tariffs and must be held accountable.
with AP
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