Canada Is Aggressively Attacking U.S. Trade, Farmers And Workers
27th April 2025
Canada has one of the most protectionist economies among developed nations. It particularly targets American farmers, media, and manufacturers. That may be why Donald Trump launched his counterattack on trade offenders with a 25% tariff on many imports from Canada and Mexico, and 10% on Canadian energy.
Unhelpfully, Trump claimed authority to do so under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act because of an “extraordinary threat” posed by “unchecked drug trafficking.” The White House failed to explain how this applied to Canada. And, while his goals are entirely correct, his April 2 “Liberation Day” global strike, imposing 10% baseline tariffs on almost all nations, and so-called reciprocal tariffs on friends and foes alike, roiled markets and aligned the world against us. That’s why Trump rapidly retreated, suspending reciprocal tariffs, except for China.
Clever countries are waging trade war on us. Despite this, America has the world’s strongest economy. Except where there are national security considerations that mandate pulling our punches, the U.S. can win every time – if we play chess, not Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots. When it comes to using tariffs as a weapon, Trump should focus on two or three targets at a time, take them down, and then move on to the next. I nominate China, the European Union (see here) and Canada.