Yesterday, trump decided that he will impose a 25% tariff on all Canadian Imports. The rationale (irrational) reason for the imposition of these tariffs it is claimed, is to stop illegal immigration and illicit drugs from entering the United States.
The U.S. border patrol’s records for 2022 state that 7,000 illegal aliens were processed attempting to enter the United States. Let me repeat that, – 7,000 people. That’s in 365 days across 5,550 miles of open border. And Canada’s border is more than 2.5 times longer than Mexico’s border with the U.S.
The southern border of the United States, averaged 12,000 illegal entries a day! That’s more than 4 million a year, yet Donald J. Trump wants to treat Canada, the same as Mexico. It’s irrational and it’s irresponsible. It’s also eroding Canada’s relationship with the U.S. and could result eventually in visa’s being required of Americans crossing into Canada, months prior to travel including for a very limited stay.
Would that hurt tourism, undoubtedly, but preferential treatment towards Europeans, Japanese, Chinese and other nationals would greatly enhance tourism beyond North America’s shores. U.S actions have made Canada evermore attractive in any event, as foreign currencies go a lot farther in Canada than the U.S., not to mention that Canada is infinitely safer for tourists than America.
As for drug traffic. The vast amount of illicit and illegal drug trafficking occurs between Mexico and the U.S., and China and the U.S.. Canada is rapidly increasing its surveillance and border security (again in 2025) to help ensure that the problem of illegal emigration from Canada to the U.S. is mitigated and minimized.
And while known deficiencies exist in Canada’s security system to systemically catch those who pose a risk to either Canada or the United States, most are actually caught at border crossings on both sides during the entry process. A report by Homeland Security actually noted a wide range of deficiencies on the U.S. side of the border, based on a lack of agents and border patrol personnel combined with inadequate technology and surveillance systems on the Northern Border with Canada, – mostly due to the massive and disproportionate problem posed by illegal immigration at the United States southern border with Mexico.
Canada is stepping up its surveillance and interdiction of drugs at Canadian ports, where much of the drugs from China enter Canada in transshipment to the United States. More sophisticated and extensive oversight of containers coming into Canada is now being accomplished, as is the investigation of illicit fentanyl and other drugs being manufactured in Canada, primarily intended for American consumption.
However, interdicting drugs is not the answer. The answer can only be found in decreasing demand for the supply of drugs, which is a major societal problem in the United States, – just as guns illegally crossing into Canada from the U.S. poses a major problem for law enforcement in Canada. Today, crimes committed in Canada using a firearm, almost always involves weapons smuggled across the border with the United States, as Canada has very strict regulations on ownership of firearms, including the prohibition on all automatic weapons, assault rifles and all handguns.
The Canadian/American border crossings pass more than 3.6 Billion dollars worth of goods daily, and the supply chain between corporations and businesses is dependent upon free trade, which is as great a value to the United States, as it is to Canada.
The automotive industry, aviation and avionics sector, the oil and gas industry, forestry products, construction materials and mining metals, along with finished metal products will be key losers, from both sides, should a 25% tariff be imposed.
While Canada normally depends on agreements between the two countries in order to maintain the free passage of goods between the two nations, Trump’s knee jerk and irrational decisions, will create chaos on both sides of the border, damaging manufacturing and industry to such an extent that countervailing tariffs will likely be mandated in return, – the expense for which will be borne by American and Canadian consumers, not the government, which will reap the tariff reward, actually and effectively increasing taxation for citizens of both countries.
Those who celebrate, like trump, simply have no understanding of what tariffs actually do. His immature bat swings in the dark will just as easily hit Harley-Davidson, and cheese manufacturers in Wisconsin, not to mention damage tourism and cross-border collaboration on a range of issues, from the border waters treaty to tariffs on U.S. steel, building materials, agricultural products, milk, cheese and a complete range of American goods, way too long to mention.
While tariffs will hurt Canada more than the U.S., it creates new manufacturing and fosters entrepreneurialism designed internally to meet the needs of Canadians. Developing a more independent Canada would help revitalize Canada’s military and would lead to a direct increase in Canadian ownership of American assets in Canada. A strategy that will make future trade wars less effectual as dependency on trade with America would thereby diminish.
Industry depends on a secure, dependable and rational process that ensures product delivery and secure pricing created solely by market conditions, not the imposition of political interference and knee jerk nationalist protectionism. Globalization depended and depends on it. If it doesn’t work, corporations will suffer as much as the nations they are invested in.
Canada, would not welcome America targeting Canada, especially when the reality is so different than Donald Trump suggests. But we in Canada are becoming accustomed to Trump’s ignorance, arrogance and lack of facts and knowledge in his pursuit of ‘the art of the deal’.
Trump seems to think he can say and do anything in relation to international affairs, without repercussions. What trump and America may well find is that isolationism won’t be something America will need to seek, it will be imposed, as Europe, Canada and Mexico are more than just a little jaded with trump, from trump 1.0 in 2016, alone. Another assault on logic could well create conditions whereby Americans wishing to travel abroad to Canada, Mexico, the EU or the UK becomes much more difficult and restricted.
No one likes being treated like less than a friend, particularly Canadians when Canadians have supported America in every foreign war (except Vietnam) of America’s involvement.
Friends don’t arbitrarily impose sanctions on friends and neighbours in order to secure what is simply a coercive deal for the future, yet trump feels he can employ his unethical business dealings at an international commerce level. The Art of the Steal, isn’t how nations do business. If it is, the nation being coerced will seek a balance that will hurt those who arbitrarily created the coercion.
We’ll see which way it goes, starting on January 20th, but for me, I’m already more than jaded with trump, his lies and his personal proclivity for unethical and dishonest acts and behaviour.
America and Canada’s relations won’t be the same with trump in power, that’s a given.
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