Trump Will Always Find a Reason to Threaten Canada with Tariffs

Different day, same old shit!!!

President Trump announced that a 50% tariff would be imposed on Canadian alcohol, dairy and auto parts in 30 days' time because America has been "invaded" by Canadian wildfires. 

But if Trump wasn't ranting about wildfires, he would be ranting about something else.

Trump first announced 25% tariffs against Canada and Mexico before he returned to the White House in November 2024. He would back away from those commitments in February 2025 but then implemented much the tariff regime by the following month.

Trump has suspended trade talks on multiple occasions. He did so in June 2025 in protest of Canada's Digital Services Tax. The Carney government scrapped the DST only for Trump to threaten additional tariffs weeks later. Trump suspended trade talks again in October 2025 because of ad run by the Ontario government with the late President Reagan waring about the dangers of tariffs. Carney subsequently apologized for the ads. Fat lot of good that did him.

In January, Trump threatened to impose 100% tariffs if Canada entered into a trade deal with China despite having encouraged such an agreement only days earlier. 

Earlier this month, Trump refused to renew the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) although USMCA talks have now resumed with Mexico.

Of course, Trump might very well lift these levies at the last minute only to threaten to impose new levies a few months down the road. Trump might also very well include Canada new USMCA talks only to cut them off yet again. Indeed, Carney says trade negotiations will be intensified with the U.S. Yet it is only a matter of time before Carney's Charlie Brown tries to kick the football only for Trump's Lucy to snatch it away from him.

Trump does this because he does not negotiate, let alone govern in good faith. He treats Canada like the workers and small businesses he refused to pay in his business dealings. Like I wrote back in March 2025, "I tariff you; I tariff you not."

Carney's smartest move would be to walk away and ignore Trump and not return his calls. Yes, that will make Trump angry. But Trump would get angry if his Diet Coke was flat. Canada is getting nowhere with the United States. The United States is wasting Canada's time. Canada's time is better spent engaging in negotiations with countries which actually want to negotiate with it in good faith and for mutual benefit not with a country which begrudges Canadians for forest fires.