USA

When the United States signed a free-trade agreement with Canada and Mexico more than 30 years ago, the premise was that partnering with two other thriving economies would also benefit America.

This week, President Trump abruptly scrapped that idea. He imposed a sweeping 25 percent tariff on Tuesday on the roughly $1 trillion of imports that Mexico and Canada send into the United States each year as part of that North American trade pact — before quickly walking them back. On Thursday, the president signed executive orders that paused the tariffs on Canada and Mexico for a period of one month for goods that trade under the rules of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, which is most trade in North America.

It’s not yet clear what will happen after that. But if the tariffs go into effect, they are expected to significantly raise costs for Canadian and Mexican exports, undermining their economies and likely tipping them into recession.

There are a lot of ways to show you’re tough. Flex your muscles. Threaten— when you’ve got something to threaten with. Remind your enemy of what you’ve done to them before. Whatever.

Talking down to them like a parent, though?

Free trade in North America is dead. Even if the tariffs levied this week, before being put on pause Thursday, are never fully implemented, any new trade deal with the U.S. can never be trusted, at least while President Donald Trump is in the White House. Canada must operate as if it doesn’t share a border with the largest economic power in history. Much of the wealth generated in Canada comes from this simple geography, masking the true damage of this country’s anti-business delusions.

Donald Trump has rattled all Canadians with his threat of large tariffs on Canadian exports to the U.S. So much so, that on Dec. 16, Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland resigned in part out of concern around the Trudeau government’s response to that threat. On that same day of the Freeland news tsunami, Canada’s premiers met to discuss the looming tariff threat. Coming out of that meeting Doug Ford promised the premiers will provide “steady and stable leadership” and advocated for a larger role for premiers in the tariff discussions.

h/t Mauser

Ontario Premier Doug Ford says he is unsure about a 30-day tariff reprieve for automakers, which he believes could be used to try and tempt companies to move their operations south of the border.

Speaking at Queen’s Park on the second day of Canada’s tariff battle with the United States, Ford said he and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau were aligned in their demand that tariffs be scrapped, not reduced or delayed.

TORONTO – Ontario will charge 25 per cent more for electricity shipped to 1.5 million Americans starting Monday in response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs, Premier Doug Ford said Thursday.

Ontario provides electricity to Minnesota, New York and Michigan. Earlier this week, Ford warned the governors of those states about the coming changes.