Fall in line
“Fall in line.” That seems to be the crux of the ongoing trade war between Canada and the United States – more specifically, Donald Trump and his economic henchmen demanding conformity.
As of Friday morning, it seemed a deal was in the making. By midnight, Canadian negotiators were dispatched home. According to media reports, last minute requests and tweaking of language made the pact impossible to sign. To be fair, American media have reported Trump officials claiming it was Canada that insisted on changes.
Regardless, there is no deal, and Canadian officials are faced with determining effective strategies to counter a collision course with tariffs on goods flowing into the U.S.
The battle of words between Ontario Premier Doug Ford and President Trump have descended into school yard taunts. Speculation about statehood for Canada, pulling the plug on electricity to northern state customers – even renaming Lake Ontario to Lake America, may be amusing barbs in some quarters but these things aren’t helpful.
The fascination with tariffs and inflicting hardship on American consumers is something we can’t understand. Sure, weakening the overall Canadian economy and encouraging on-boarding of businesses within the confines of the United States itself could be the goal. But there is a lot of unnecessary pain between here and there.
For Canadians, the loss of American customers when tariffs are factored in, is an existential threat requiring a pivot to other markets and products. The challenge will be in the timing of those changes. Can it be done quickly enough to avoid shutdowns? Interim support from the government will be needed.
Steel, aluminium and a slew of other commodities could be redirected to products Canada needs in the short term. Components for pre-fabricated infrastructure like bridges or purpose-built steel buildings would help some industries stay working while these trade issues sort themselves out. Those moves will need to be made quickly.
Not for sale, however, is our sovereignty. Our capacity to trade with other nations, cherished cultural touchpoints, the right of Canada to determine its place in the world – these items can’t be dealt away.
Canada will not fall in line.