USA

A few weeks ago, I argued that the strongest political opposition to Donald Trump resided right here in Canada.

Turns out, that’s an increasingly dangerous place to be.

As the latest round of tariffs on our automotive sector prove, it’s an increasingly economically painful place to be.

And if Donald Trump’s musings over a third term are to be believed — and they should — that may be the case not just for four years, but for at least eight. A near decade more of economic coercion and geopolitical volatility.

Less deranged than is usual for the Star.

Outside City Hall in Windsor, Ontario, it was apparent on Friday morning that at least one American thing wasn’t being boycotted. Fans dressed in Detroit Tigers clothing were gathering at a bus stop to cross the river to take in the team’s home opener.

Beyond the opening day festivities, however, it was a week of particularly bad news for Windsor, my hometown.

It’s over.

After a century and a half of building an economic and military partnership that survived two world wars, the Great Depression, the Cold War and the 9/11 attacks, the United States and Canada are breaking up.

The US began collecting a 10% “baseline” tariff on all imports on Saturday as President Donald Trump urged Americans to “hang tough” after market turmoil.

The UK and France are among hundreds of countries impacted and its leaders have said nothing is off the table. While China, which has been hit the hardest by President Trump’s tariffs, announced a significant retaliatory response.

All three major stock indexes in the US plunged more than 5% on Friday, with the S&P 500 dropping almost 6%, capping the worst week for the US stock market since 2020.

As geopolitical friction between Canada and the United States intensifies, particularly on the trade front, the real battleground may not be in boardrooms or policy circles – it may be in grocery aisles across the country.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent made it clear in an interview with CNN that the era of trade imbalances is over, and under President Trump, the U.S. will no longer tolerate unfair treatment.

During a discussion with CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, Bessent confidently explained the administration’s position on tariffs and trade policy, signaling that Trump’s economic strategy is deliberate and well thought out.

h/t DS

In these disorienting days, Canadian leaders are responding in real time to a deeply uncertain world.

On the day the president of the United States launched a global trade war, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith chose to look on the bright side. The United States, she wrote, had decided to “uphold the majority of the free trade agreement … between our two nations.” And while some tariffs remained in place, “it appears the worst of this tariff dispute is behind us.”

More ginned up scare mongering from Carney’s CBC.

Food for thought …

The final days of British Steel.
Chinese owners are preparing for its closure.

Britain invented the steel industry. A key part of a powerhouse industrial base. But sadly, Britain’s industries have been hollowed out, sold off & communities left to rot.

pic.twitter.com/PRuT4bCeoA

— James Melville (@JamesMelville) April 5, 2025

h/t Mauser

“One of the messages that I’d like to get out tonight is: everybody, sit back, take a deep breath. Don’t immediately retaliate. Let’s see where this goes. Because if you retaliate, that’s how we get escalation.” So said Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Wednesday amid the global upheaval caused by Donald Trump’s sweeping tariff rollout. Bessent’s call for serenity is landing on deaf ears, but for panicked allies in North America, his advice may be worth heeding.