What does it mean to be Canadian? Is it honouring our maple syrup? Knowing more French than the average English speaker? A dedication to ketchup chips? An above-average passion for hockey? A dedication to defending our (troubled, but universal) healthcare system? Being able to list off all the Canadian actors that made it big in Hollywood? Apologizing when other people step on your foot? Or perhaps we define it simply as “not American.”
Ever since U.S. President Donald Trump offered to annex Canada as the 51st state to avoid 25 per cent tariffs, many Canadians have felt especially patriotic. Guess they weren’t so keen on a bombastic former reality TV star (and real estate mogul) presiding over them. Some Trump supporters insist that this is merely his way of putting pressure on Canada over the fentanyl crisis and illegal immigration at the border. Or they’ll remind you how Trump wrote The Art of the Deal (despite it being ghostwritten by Tony Schwartz, but I digress) and that this is merely a negotiation tactic.
Trump himself previously indicated that there’s nothing Canada can do to avoid the impending tariffs. Then, two calls with POTUS later, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that the “proposed tariffs will be paused for at least 30 days while we work together” and that Canada will commit to $1.3 billion for a border security plan, appoint a Canadian “Fentanyl Czar” and launch a new $200-million intelligence directive on organized crime. So perhaps it really was some sort of negotiation tactic. Where it ultimately leaves us is yet to be determined. (At least the president didn’t make Canada buy his meme coin).
In the weeks prior, Trump had taken to social media alternating between doubling down on his tariffs, inviting Canada to become a state and mocking it mercilessly. His posts were rather effective at rallying his base. Suddenly, Canada became this villain — a leech, ungrateful, and a country that should do as it’s told by Big Boss America. We were told we’ve contributed nothing to the world (guess they haven’t heard of Bombardier, Crown Royal, Lululemon, Shopify, Hootsuite, Tucows, Bausch Health, Cirque du Soleil, Roots, Dairy Queen, Paladin Labs, etc.), and that the U.S. needs nothing from us. Seemingly overnight, many Americans have developed what I’d hazard to call Canadian Derangement Syndrome (CDS). (It’s like the flu, but instead of a fever, you have a sudden uncontrollable urge to roast Canadians over how polite we are and pretend that our maple syrup isn’t superior).
But Canadians haven’t taken this quietly. On social media, many vowed not to travel to the U.S. or spend money on American products. People started sharing lists of Canadian products, companies and a long roster of famous Canadians — Keanu Reeves, Leonard Cohen, John Candy, Jim Carrey, William Shatner.
Then came the political retaliation with the government of Ontario directing LCBO to pull American liquor from the shelves (worth nearly $1B in annual sales) starting Tuesday, followed by B.C. Premier David Eby directing the B.C. Liquor Distribution Branch to stop purchasing American liquor from Republican-led “red states.” And on Saturday, Trudeau announced 25 per cent tariffs on C$155 billion of U.S. goods (which have now been suspended for 30 days), covering products like orange juice and household appliances — a measure that will also undoubtedly hurt Canadians. That’s the thing about a trade war — everybody gets hurt.
Some argue that these countermeasures do nothing but virtue signal and further escalate tensions, hurting Canada more in the long term. But history has shown that tariffs are almost always met with retaliatory measures, and their impact is usually felt on both sides — and since Canada is smaller, we’ll feel it more. Besides, what is Canada to do? Remain passive? If Canada does nothing, doesn’t it send the message that the U.S. (or any other larger country) can do whatever it wants with no repercussions?
On the other hand, we do have some areas of real leverage.
Currently, over 60 per cent of U.S. crude oil imports come from Canada (something few Americans know) and their refineries are set up specifically to process it. The U.S. actually produces enough oil to meet its own needs, but it happens to be cheaper to acquire it overseas. Still, it’s possible that, in time, the U.S. would shift its refinery structure or partner with alternative sources of supply, despite Canada being a reliable partner right next door.
The old saying goes, “don’t put all your eggs in one basket,” and Canada should take that advice to heart, regardless of the final outcome. Now that the U.S. has shown itself to be a less-than-ideal partner, it’s time for Canada to diversify its trading portfolio rather than putting all its efforts into retaliation. When someone has a bad partner, the best thing they can do is just walk away. That’s the best revenge — or so I hear.
This rift between Canadians and Americans didn’t take long to create, but it will take a long time to heal. Trust, once broken, is not easily rebuilt.
Regardless, protectionism is in line with Trump’s and MAGA’s “America First” mantra. It is understandable from an American perspective to want to prioritize one’s own country and economy. Veering too far into isolationism and not playing well with others likely won’t pay off in the long term however, and will instead diminish their power as a global leader (leaving a vacuum for other players) and hurt future strategic alliance opportunities. Who would want to do business with the U.S. if it can back out of agreements or renege on deals at a moment’s notice?
Perhaps it’s time for Canada to realize it needs to make new friends. Selling energy, in particular liquefied natural gas, to Europe, for example, would also have the geopolitical benefit of reducing their reliance on Russian energy. Canada can and should look to expand trade with Europe, Asia and our traditional Commonwealth partners.
We should also focus on growing more domestic industries. We’ve already seen success in some domains, beyond just our natural resources, but there’s no reason why Canada can’t become a much bigger hub for tech, pharmaceuticals or other industries if the right incentives are in place. Look at the $20-billion Canadian film and television industry, which has received support from the government in the past — maybe we can do the same for other sectors, encouraging entrepreneurs to not merely build in Canada, but also stay here.
Whether or not we manage to strike a decent deal with the U.S., this might just be the wake-up call Canada needs. Sure, we may have lost a friend to CDS, but like any breakup, this is our chance to rediscover who we really are, become more independent — and maybe even start “seeing other countries” … you know, ones that don’t tweet at us every five minutes.
National Post
Katherine Brodsky is a commentator and writer who has contributed to Newsweek, Skeptic, Variety, WIRED, Washington Post, Guardian, Vulture, The Independent, Mashable and others. She is the author of “No Apologies: How to Find and Free Your Voice in the Age of Outrage—Lessons for the Silenced Majority” and is active on X @mysteriouskat and Substack: katherinebrodsky.substack.com.