Canada should not respond to potential U.S. tariffs with retaliatory tariffs, as this would primarily harm Canadian consumers by driving up prices. Instead, Canada should leverage its industrial and technological capabilities to undermine the monopolistic rent-seeking of American corporations by legalizing and promoting third-party modifications, repairs, and alternative marketplaces for technology, agriculture, and other industries. By dismantling restrictive intellectual property laws—many of which were imposed under the USMCA trade agreement—Canada could become a global hub for jailbreaks, independent app stores, and right-to-repair solutions, thereby reducing dependence on U.S. tech monopolies and fostering a new high-tech economy that directly benefits Canadian consumers and businesses.
In order to support tariffs, you must first support eliminating jobs and companies getting rid of emplyees due to lack of sales from the higher prices. Tariffs on Canadian imports means Canadians lose their jobs. Retaliating with tariffs on American imports means Americans lose their jobs.
COVID was a wake up call for me. As we struggled to get masks, ventilators, and vaccines, I realized that we make incredibly little here in Canada.
I now do my best to EXCLUSIVELY buy Canadian. I’m admittedly privileged to be able to afford to, but it isn’t that much more expensive if you approach it from the perspective of buying a few quality products rather than tons of crap.
For footwear, Boulet Boots makes great summer and winter weight boots for about $300. Made just outside Trois Riviere. It’s a lot of money - but they can also be resoled, repaired and still look new in their second winter.
Most of my pants and shirts are from Common Manufacturing out of Winnipeg. $150-$200 for a shirt and $170 for a set of chinos. I used to buy Banana Republic type stuff for about half the price but I would destroy them within a year. Common offers free repairs for life but I haven’t needed to use it yet.
My belts and watch straps are from Popov Leather in Nelson, BC.
Pots and pans from Meyer in PEI.
When I tossed my black plastic kitchen tools, I replaced them with beautiful hand carved wood replacements from a local craft fair.
Every time I need something I go looking for who is making it in Canada. It’s fun, I get to support small business, and I enjoy the higher quality - even if I have less shirts.
I agree in principle. Personally, I think Canada needs to pivot hard to being much closer to the EU. However, that approach will take too much time and bear out a lot of pain before we’re done.
In the short term though, Trump is a bully so responding to tariffs with anything other than escalation is likely to attract more tariffs and economic damage.
I’ve actually been wondering if we shouldn’t approach the EU for membership. It’s probably a pretty hard sell from the EU side, but it would send a message about turning on one’s closest ally.
I mean one of the requirments is being part of Europe. And yes the council determines what that means. But it we could be very hard to say Canada is part of Europe.
Europe is what Europe defines itself to be. Definitely a stretch to include Canada, but if we also keep a trade agreement with the rest of North America we could be a back door to European goods to sell into the USA.
Again, WILDLY unlikely.
Hey, our border isn’t too far from Greenland!
In fact we have a land border.
Oh right, that funky island where we trade whiskey for schnapps.
