Blazingcatfur

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.