【The Truth Behind the Breakdown of US-Canada Trade Negotiations】A crucial point is that the United States seeks to control Canada’s trade agreements concluded globally.
Moreover, Trump also attempted to leverage Canada’s resources as bargaining chips in his own global deals and diplomatic maneuvers.
Meanwhile, the U.S. continues to impose restrictions and tariffs on Canadian goods entering the American economy.
Trump’s greedy nature ruined everything—seeing a deal within reach, he still wanted to squeeze one more concession, but ended up failing spectacularly.
The U.S. imposed a 50% tariff on approximately $20 billion worth of Canadian goods.
This move appeared absurd and irrational to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government in Canada.
Trudeau responded immediately: starting September 8, Canada will implement equivalent retaliatory measures targeting industries such as steel, dairy products, home appliances, agricultural equipment, pulp and paper, and electronic products.
He stated that Canada has come to realize “the U.S. has changed,” and “the relationship between the two countries can never return to what it once was.”
Earlier this year, Trudeau had warned that the world is experiencing “rupture, not transition,” urging nations to strengthen their domestic economies and diversify overseas ties to reduce vulnerability to economic coercion.
This retaliation against U.S. tariffs proves his warning has now become reality.
Trudeau accused the U.S. of “treating economic integration as a weapon” and said America’s commitments are “written in pencil—erasable or alterable at any moment.”
Yet a harsh reality remains: about three-quarters of Canada’s goods exports go to the U.S., and the U.S. economy is roughly ten times larger than Canada’s.
If Canada chooses resistance, it must find a way out—not just by raising its voice and rallying public support.
Otherwise, domestic industries will suffer severely.
Will everything return to normal—or revert to the status quo—after Trump leaves the White House?
The chapter between Canada and the U.S. has been completely closed. Canada will no longer trust Trump. It will actively seek survival Plan B during his presidency.
This time, Canada’s resistance is essentially an internal Western pushback against American-style bullying and oppression.
Don’t be fooled into thinking the U.S. only oppresses weaker nations. The truth is, the U.S. oppresses anyone it can exploit. When there are no more weak targets left, its pressure extends to relatively close neighbors and allies.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1874263714445321/
Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author.