Prime Minister Stephen Harper has put the United States on notice that Canadian crude will start flowing to Asia as a result of American rejection of the Keystone XL pipeline project.

It wasn’t a threat, but rather an explanation of the position in which Canada finds itself as a consequence of the rejection.  

Harper told those gathered to hear him speak at the Woodrow Wilson Centre that the very fact that “no” was even uttered over the building of the Keystone XL underscores to Canada that it can’t put the sale of its oil in the one American basket.

The PM continued with the strong language and said “we cannot be, as a country, in a situation where really our one and, in many cases, almost only  energy partner could say no to our energy products.”

Harper also pointed out that Canada has been selling oil to the U.S. at a discounted price, which will change when the Asian sales make the oilsands crude more competitive.