REPRIEVE AIDS TORIES
No new tariffs from Trump a hit to Carney’s campaign
It’s not quite a presidential pardon, but we could call it a reprieve.
Canada didn’t get any additional tariffs as U.S. President Donald Trump celebrated what he called “Liberation day.”
Trump has been talking about new tariffs on Canada for months; he even went on a rant during his Rose Garden ceremony about how he sees Canada’s dairy industry as ripping off American farmers.
“Canada, by the way, imposes a 250% – 300% tariff on many of our dairy products. They do the first can of milk, they do the first little carton of milk at a very low price and after that it gets bad,” Trump said.
As with many things Trump says, there’s a kernel of truth and a lot of bluster.
We do have high tariffs on American dairy, but only for any imports above a quota set out in the CUSMA deal.
The bottom line is we didn’t get any additional tariffs added last Wednesday.
There are still 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum, the same rate as any other country in the world.
There are also some goods captured by the fentanyl tariffs Trump imposed last month, but anything covered by CUSMA, or USMCA, as the Americans call it, is tariff free.
That’s the same thing the Americans said last Wednesday, exempting Canadian goods under CUSMA, while putting tariffs on 34% on China, 37% on Serbia and 49% on Cambodia as just three examples.
“This means USMCA compliant goods will continue to see a 0% tariff,” a White House document stated.
That means that no new tariffs on automobiles, auto parts, potash, oil or any other products – for now. Canada remains under the previous economy-wide duties the president has linked to the cross- border flow of fentanyl including 25% on automobile imports into the U.S.
The news should be seen as a positive step for Canada, but it didn’t seem to please Prime Minister Mark Carney who has staked the entire Liberal re-election campaign on a fight with Trump on trade.
Speaking to reporters on Parliament Hill, Carney tried to keep the elbow-up fighting tone he has been relying on, despite Canada not getting hit this shift.
“President Trump has just announced a series of measures that are going to fundamentally change the international trading system,” Carney said, while reluctantly acknowledging we were spared.
“Now, in doing so, he has preserved a number of important elements of our relationship, the commercial relationship between Canada and the United States, But the fentanyl tariffs will remain in place. As do the tariffs for steel and aluminum.”
He went on to talk about fighting the Americans with counter measures and further retaliation.
If Carney were playing hockey, he might be sent to the penalty box for being an instigator.
Speaking at a rally in Kingston, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said that all of Trump’s tariffs were unjustified, but that we must build an economy that can withstand threats from the Americans.
“We must be an economic fortress that can defend itself, that can stand up for its own people and put Canada first,” he said.
It was similar to what he had said at an early morning event in Toronto last Wednesday where he called for Canada’s economy to become unleased and less dependent on the United States.
Speaking in Kingston, he said a future Conservative government would be there for autoworkers or anyone hit by the tariffs and unfair trade practices, and promised to push for a new trade deal as soon as possible.
“We will push hard to put an end to these tariffs and get a quick but fair deal that protects our sovereignty, knocks down all the tariffs and allows us to rebuild our military so that we can be a true sovereign nation,” Poilievre said.
Neither Trump’s tariffs, nor his economic threats against Canada are gone right now and, as we all know, they could come back at any moment.
But with Canada avoiding new tariffs last Wednesday, it takes some of the wind out of Carney’s sails.
It may force the Liberals to talk about other issues.
Which is the last thing they want to do, because on other issues, the Liberal record will have voters looking at Poilievre and the Conservatives.
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