The U.S.-Canada trade spat is getting spicy. This week, talks on a new deal collapsed. In response, Washington slapped 50 percent tariffs on roughly US$28 billion in Canadian goods, and President Donald Trump is threatening to go further still.
However, the gloves haven’t fully come off. Both sides are still posturing, leaving a door slightly open for a deal. But the rhetoric? That’s ramping up fast.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy went on Fox News Sunday to dismiss Canada’s chances in this fight. The belief that Mark Carney will go to war with Trump and win, Duffy said, is “a form of folly.” He then argued Canada barely has a functioning healthcare system, let alone a military — both fundamentally outrageous claims.
Ontario’s feisty Premier Doug Ford, who seems to have made himself the face of the Canadian pushback, wasn’t having it. Canada “can’t be bullied” by Trump, he fumed. Canada won’t roll over just because Washington raises its voice.
Please login or subscribe to view the complete article.
