Donald Trump has ruptured the Canada-U.S. relationship. To what end? And what comes next?


Going to both Canadians and Americans on Saturday night, in one of the most tense moments in the history of relations between Canada and the United States, Justin Trudeau reminded the listeners of John F. Kennedy’s words when The deceased US president went to Parliament in May 1961.

“Geography has made us neighbors. History has made us friends. The economy has made us partners. And the need has made us allies,” said Prime Minister, citing Kennedy.

Trudeau did not repeat the following prayer in Kennedy’s comments: “Those to whom nature has joined, that no man put in pieces.”

Perhaps that line would have seemed at this time as a direct attack against the current US president. But Kennedy’s feeling may have been involved when Trudeau proceeded to count all the occasions when Canadians and Americans have fought together and all the moments when Canadians have been there to help their neighbor.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau offers comments at a relationship of relations with Canada-United States in Toronto on Friday. (Chris Young/The Canadian Press)

Together, said Trudeau, Canada and the United States have built the most successful economic, military and security association that the world has seen and a relationship that is the envy of the world.

“Unfortunately, the actions taken today by the White House separated us instead of unite,” Trudeau told how Canada will return the United States rates.

Look | Trudeau talks about ‘difficult’ weeks ahead for both countries:

Trudeau in us the rates: “We do not ask for this, but we will not go back”

After announcing Canada’s response to American tariffs, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that the next few days will be “difficult for Canadians and that they will be difficult for Americans.” Trudeau said that Canada will impose a 25 percent rate on the goods of the United States worth $ 155 billion in response to rates of 25 percent of 25 percent of US president Donald Trump in most Canadian goods .

The depth and duration of the division remains to be seen. In the short term, it could be very difficult, especially for those whose works and livelihoods are now threatened. And at an anxious moment for the country, Trudeau seemed intention to unite the Canadians and prepare them for a significant struggle: “There are many ways to do their part,” he said.

But even if this break is repaired in some way relatively fast, it is easy to imagine how this could leave the type of lasting scars that change in the long term of the relationship between two nations that nature has joined.

How do we get here?

The United States has now begun a commercial war against its closest ally and a commercial partner. And there is much to consider about what comes next. But it is also worth checking how we get here.

On November 5, the Americans elected Donald Trump to be their next president. Twenty days later, Trump announcedThrough a publication to its own social media platform, which would apply a 25 percent tariff to all products imported to the United States from Canada and Mexico, a response to the fact that illegal drugs and drugs were entering in the United States of those two countries.

The flags of Canada and the United States fly in the foreground while vehicles travel on a bridge in the background.
The Canadian and American flags fly on the American side of the St. Clair River, near the border of the Bluewater bridge, cross between Sarnia, Ontario, and Port Huron, Mich., On January 29. (Geoff Robins/AFP/Getty Images)

At least in the case of Canada, this was an irrational justification. Fentanyl seizures on the northern border of the United States represented 0.08 percent of all fentanyl seized by US officials in the last fiscal year. The number of people entering the United States through Canada has also been a fraction of the total number of people entering through Mexico.

Anyway, preventing unwanted people and things from entering the United States is, above all, the responsibility of the United States. If the United States believes that it is justified by raising tariffs in this case, then presumably Canadian officials would have reasons to impose tariffs in response to Flow of illegal firearms that enter this country through the United States.

However, Canadian officials were obliged, both politicians and practically, to take Trump’s declared concerns seriously. And they did so. New resources met and new commitments were made with cross -border cooperation. According to the estimate of the federal government, the total package of measures will cost $ 1.3 billion.

But it was not enough or simply did not matter.

Paul Krugman, the economist and commentator of the Nobel winner, Suggested This week, the use of fentanyl to justify this commercial war was similar to the statements of an previous American administration of “weapons of mass destruction” as a pretext to launch an Iraq invasion in 2003.

People are seen on a round table.
Trudeau speaks during a meeting with provincial and territorial ministers in Ottawa on January 15. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press)

“It’s just a plausible reason for a president to do what he wanted to do for other reasons: George W. Bush wanted a small splendid war, Donald Trump just wants to impose rates and affirm the domain,” Krugman wrote.

Why do Trump want to put rates in Canada?

It cannot be said that Trump is responding to a great desire on the part of Americans to get hard with Canadian manufacturing products. TO Reuters/Ipsos survey In January, it found that only 37 percent of Americans support a new tax on Canadian goods. Abacus data Similarly, he found that only 28 percent of Americans think that a 25 percent tariff is a “good idea.”

The White House referred to rates as “leverage” on Saturday. But it is not clear what the most wants the United States. And whatever your concern about fentanyl, Trump can see tariffs more deeply as a way to increase income for a federal government that already has a deficit of $ 1.8 billion USA. UU., And as a method to force Companies to manufacture products within the United States.

“We were in our richest from 1870 to 1913”, Trump, “Trump saying on Friday. “That was when we were a tariff country.”

Workers in an automotive plant walk along a car assembly line.
The workers are seen in a vehicle assembly line in Alliston, Ontario, in April 2024. Flavio Volpe, president of the Association of Automotive Manufacturers with headquarters in Toronto, warned that tariffs raised by the United States will make the Actions of the automotive companies of the United States. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press)

At least like Measured by GDPIt is difficult to see how the United States was richer in the dawn of the twentieth century. But returning to the world of 1913 would mean reverse Almost a century of growing economic integration between Canada and the United States -In -formalized by a succession of free trade agreements, the most recent of which was negotiated, signed and held by Trump himself just over six years ago.

At least, Trump has apparently now sent the message to Canadian leaders, and leaders in many other countries, which the United States should no longer be considered as a reliable ally or commercial partner. It seems to believe that the economic power of the United States exists to be exercised against others, both enemies and friends, without concern for the international relations of the United States or the welfare of citizens in other countries.

What will this do to the Canadian psyche?

Trudeau said he trusts the American people and that he does not believe they wake up wanting to fight with Canada. And perhaps the continuous approach of the president in the fentanyl offers an exit. Perhaps Canadian officials can continue to implement measures related to the border and then Trump can claim victory and everyone can return to their corners. At least until the next rate is threatened.

But what about the Canadian political psyche? The Canadians had largely overcome the fears of previous decades and felt comfortable with a closer economic integration with the United States. The fears of American cultural influence had also retreated. At least until now.

Fans of a game of Ottawa senators on Saturday night booed the American national anthem. In addition to the $ 155 billion in buttresses announced by Trudeau on Saturday night, Nueva Scotia announced That road tolls would increase in US trucks and American alcohol would be removed from the shelves from the province’s stores. British Columbia announced That the province would no longer sell alcohol of “red states”, that is, US states that voted for Trump last November.

Trudeau talked about preserving the relationship between Canada and the United States and the “need” and “economy” can take the day. But Trudeau also asked the Canadians to “choose Canada”, in their daily purchases and even in their choice of where to vacation.

At least, Trump’s aggression can be a shot in the arm for Canadian patriotism.

“Canada houses abundant resources, impressive beauty and a proud people who have come from all corners of the world to forge a nation with a unique identity that is worth hugging and celebrating,” Trudeau said on Saturday night.

Trudeau finished his comments prepared with “Vive Le Canada”, a scream of registered meeting of former Prime Minister Jean Chrétien.

Chrétien lived some of the seminal moments in the creation of Modern Canada (the repatriation of the Constitution, the Quebec referendum of 1980 and 1995, and his last great political act as a prime minister refused to accompany the US invasion of Iraq.

For Canadians, following our own path can return to fashion.



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