Justin Trudeau Says Donald Trump's Talk Of Absorbing Canada A 'Real Thing': Report

Trudeau made the remarks during a closed-door session of business and labour leaders on how best to respond to Trump's threats of tariffs on Canadian imports.

His comments were first reported by the Toronto Star, which said they were mistakenly carried by a loudspeaker.

Trump has repeatedly suggested Canada would be better off if it agreed to become the 51st US state.

"They're very aware of our resources, of what we have and they very much want to be able to benefit from those," the Star quoted Trudeau as saying.