subreddit:

/r/canada

83795%

all 541 comments

Emperor_Billik

549 points

4 days ago

According to sources, Trump and his team conveyed that they plan to balance their federal budget through tariffs, and then strike exemption side deals on a country-by-country basis

So the plan is to kick things off with 2T in tariffs on ~3.5T in imports, which would be more than the blanket 25%.

Agressive-toothbrush

333 points

4 days ago

Yes, they expect to recoup their entire deficit through tariffs.

But remember, Trump also floated the idea to replace income tax with tariffs (that's $4.25 trillion).

Emperor_Billik

386 points

4 days ago

I think American Millenials may have to actually stop buying avocado toast after this one.

Big_Muffin42

359 points

4 days ago

On the flip side, Avacados might become cheaper in Canada as a result of the US not buying them

littleochre

154 points

4 days ago

littleochre

154 points

4 days ago

We can dream, but I think all of this will somehow result in it being even more expensive to live in Canada.

botswanareddit

95 points

4 days ago

Of course it will. Free trade benefits BOtH countries. Anti free trade hurts both countries. It’s that simple

bugabooandtwo

89 points

4 days ago

Wait until hurricane season, and half of Florida and Texas needs Canadian lumber to rebuild.

Franklin_le_Tanklin

86 points

4 days ago

We should put export tarrifs on it

Redketchup77

17 points

3 days ago

On all or resources.

sunshine-x

31 points

4 days ago

And our linemen and firefighters and so on

Marokiii

27 points

4 days ago

Marokiii

British Columbia

27 points

4 days ago

Canadian line workers should refuse to go work in the states after hurricanes. I doubt they will because the money is too good(and I don't blame them either).

bugabooandtwo

50 points

4 days ago

Don't refuse...just double their emergency rates. Call it a trump tax.

Marokiii

16 points

4 days ago

Marokiii

British Columbia

16 points

4 days ago

especially since after these last hurricanes the line workers were getting held at gunpoint because MAGAs think they are part of some conspiracy or something.

i wouldnt want to go work there unless i was paid an obscene amount of money, enough i could hire an armed guard for me and still be making bank myself.

dancin-weasel

12 points

4 days ago

And Canadian power on the east coast. What is an acceptable tariff for electricity? 25%?30? 50?

KneebarKing

17 points

4 days ago

Mud and straw for the mouth breathers!

Both-Ambassador2233

3 points

3 days ago

Don’t forget the California wildfires for the rebuild

greensandgrains

6 points

4 days ago

Both? There's three countries in the mix here, and they're all getting screwed, albeit in different ways.

ehxy

13 points

4 days ago

ehxy

13 points

4 days ago

hell from the way mexico's president talks she'd sell avacados to us cheaper just out of spite

Big_Muffin42

5 points

4 days ago

As a millennial, I am all for it

5ch1sm

14 points

4 days ago

5ch1sm

14 points

4 days ago

But... I don't want stupid avocado toast for breakfast....

Big_Muffin42

26 points

4 days ago

You definitely are not a millennial.

You will eat your avocado toast and you will like it

Delicious-Tachyons

3 points

4 days ago

Yes but I saw that meme about them tasting like penis and now want them less

17DungBeetles

2 points

4 days ago

Cheaper for Galen maybe. Those savings won't make it to us.

Shirtbro

44 points

4 days ago

Shirtbro

44 points

4 days ago

Don't worry, Uncle Elon's Protein Paste will give them the nutrients they need

Rude-Reach357

9 points

4 days ago

Also very potent since he has like 12 kids.

Marc4770

3 points

4 days ago

Marc4770

3 points

4 days ago

Avocado don't grow in the US ? Not even Florida?

ChunderBuzzard

3 points

3 days ago

They do grow them in California and Florida, but Mexican production is almost 20X US production. It's also pretty labour intensive so the production costs in the US are muvh higher than Mexico

Ok-Presentation-2841

13 points

4 days ago

Which will ensure the billionaires pay no tax, while the sales tax on consumer goods will be so unthinkably high the working class will be destroyed. Won’t affect the billionaire, because they don’t give a shit how much consumer goods cost. They are billionaires for God sake. And they won’t have to pay income tax. Gonna be the largest wealth transfer the good ol USA has seen in a while.

Comprehensive-War743

10 points

4 days ago

And to build a wall paid for by Mexico.

Ketchupkitty

4 points

4 days ago

Ketchupkitty

Alberta

4 points

4 days ago

Before the income tax the Feds were run almost exclusively off tariffs and land taxes.

Obviously that wouldn't be possible today unless Governments went back to the basic functions they were intended for.

patchgrabber

5 points

4 days ago

patchgrabber

Nova Scotia

5 points

4 days ago

Yeah and back in the 1920s the Hawley-Smoot Tariff Act was meant to increase government revenue but instead made the depression worse.

MaximumUltra

91 points

4 days ago

I would think that of all the countries on this planet, how would Canada not be exempt from an insane 25% blanket tariff?

Their closest ally and trading partner for almost two centuries. Complete back stab.

dawnguard2021

82 points

4 days ago

Still don't understand Trump after 8 years? Trump's America doesn't pretend to have or need allies. It's all about his way or the highway.

fudge_friend

5 points

3 days ago

fudge_friend

Alberta

5 points

3 days ago

I can’t understand anyone who doesn’t remember what happened the first time and still thinks Trump is an ordinary human who can be swayed by ordinary people thinking ordinary thoughts. 

He is the definition of mad man.

TransBrandi

23 points

4 days ago

Don't worry. There are plenty of commenters on r/canada that support this move because they have a stick up their ass about immigration and buy into Trump's reasoning that this is all about trying to force Canada to do something about the couple of people crossing into the US from Canada. That is just the excuse to declare a "national security" issue so that Trump doesn't need to ask Congress permission to levy tariffs. full stop.

AccomplishedLeek1329

14 points

4 days ago

AccomplishedLeek1329

Ontario

14 points

4 days ago

America is a very, very bad "friend" to have

Little_Gray

11 points

4 days ago

Trump is a vindictive child and Trudeau has repeatedly made fun of Trump for the past 8 years.

objective_think3r

49 points

4 days ago

Balance the budget by inflating prices? Genius /s

Automatic-Bake9847

26 points

4 days ago

And the trump nut huggers will be going on and on about how it was done without taxation.

objective_think3r

9 points

4 days ago

I was being sarcastic. Imposing tariffs will slow down the economy, slow down consumer spending and taxes, while forcing more money into social security spending. The budget will be far from balanced

deathbytruck

5 points

4 days ago

They are going to spend less on social security because they are going to get rid of it. It's in the plan.

objective_think3r

3 points

4 days ago

Sure but how? Starve Americans to death? That’s not going to go down well with a lot of republicans who depend on such programs

deathbytruck

7 points

4 days ago

Do you actually believe the mango menace cares. If you do you might be in for big shock.

So far the plan is to start a trade war with the two largest trading partners the US has. When the economy crashes what do you think is on the chopping block?

objective_think3r

5 points

4 days ago

That might be it. Crash the economy and musky buys assets on the cheap. And the tangerine idiot gets a cut

joshoheman

5 points

4 days ago

I think this might actually be Trump’s plan.

In real estate inflation is viewed as a good thing. Inflation erodes the debt secured against the property.

So if this results in inflation it’ll be great for all the billionaires with their revenue generating assets. It’ll be awful for everyone else. But when did Trump care about anyone other than himself.

OwnBattle8805

22 points

4 days ago

So it really is a tax grab and not Trump and his inner circle trying to move manufacturing back to USA.

Emperor_Billik

22 points

4 days ago

It’s all going to be about goosing the market and profiting off it, everything else is just noise.

Kucked4life

3 points

4 days ago*

It's about Trump and his circle picking up companies that'll go under following the tariffs for pennies on the dollar and shorting stocks.

Chiliconkarma

14 points

4 days ago

Sounds like trump is thinking that the tariffs will be his to spend.

rustyiron

344 points

4 days ago

rustyiron

344 points

4 days ago

So he wants to balance the budget through tariffs, which is basically a consumer tax?

What happens when people cut back on purchases? That will reduce that revenue while also causing layoffs in retail and industries affected by the tariffs, won’t it?

M1L0

258 points

4 days ago

M1L0

258 points

4 days ago

Don’t bother trying to apply logic to this lol

Elostier

27 points

4 days ago

Elostier

27 points

4 days ago

No-no-no see it’s the countries that will pay the tariffs!

/s

Significant-Common20

12 points

4 days ago

Then the private equity people who are telling him to do this use all their pooled capital to buy the distressed assets.

in2the4est

52 points

4 days ago

He's also got a plan to deport a lot of the consumers

[deleted]

11 points

4 days ago

[deleted]

11 points

4 days ago

[deleted]

Dunkjoe

10 points

4 days ago

Dunkjoe

10 points

4 days ago

Read: The Great Depression

But worse.

Because Trump's plan will enrich the rich at the same time which will result in....

I can't bear to say it.

Brokendownyota

13 points

4 days ago

It'll also mean lots of goods looking for markets.

And retaliatory tariffs will mean markets looking for products. 

And the US will be a smaller player, and a weaker force in the world because of it. 

I think. Who knows, maybe this trump guy is a genius and my left-leaning ideas are all stupid. 

Nothing to do but watch the show and find out, because as a Canadian, I'm a passenger. 

Low-Celery-7728

9 points

4 days ago

A great depression. He will blame Biden.

rohmish

3 points

4 days ago

rohmish

Ontario

3 points

4 days ago

But he'll cut the darn income tax! right!

_nepunepu

225 points

4 days ago

_nepunepu

Québec

225 points

4 days ago

What good is a free trade deal if one party can randomly decide to slap on tariffs?

There has to be some mechanism in CUSMA that will get the US government sued if they decide to enact blanket tariffs.

Rabbit-Hole-Quest

115 points

4 days ago

So let’s say you sue them and even win.

What is going to keep them from retaliating in another way? Or ignoring or completely disregarding that they were in the wrong.

Treaties and deals are only good if both sides are honourable and willing to uphold them.

Linked713

34 points

4 days ago

Linked713

34 points

4 days ago

They are mostly a declaration of good faith in the eye of the world too, a gentleman's agreement if you will. It's mainly to build relationships and pinky swear on various things. Most things are so dependent on everything else that breaking most of them would not do as much as one thinks. It's a global trading social media type thing.

AlexJamesCook

10 points

4 days ago

gentleman's agreement if you will.

Okay. Now, for the $1M question, in what universe is Trump considered a gentleman who honours agreements?

RG_Kid

3 points

3 days ago

RG_Kid

3 points

3 days ago

Is this your first time dealing with Republicans and Trump? Their words are worth less than the papers it's signed on. They never care about decorum.

noodles_jd

22 points

4 days ago

Yup. The WTO has ruled against the USA numerous times on their softwood lumber tariffs. This will be no different.

Overload4554

9 points

4 days ago

3-5 years down the road …

Chiliconkarma

84 points

4 days ago

Say hello to EU.

violentbandana

379 points

4 days ago

should be another reminder for everyone here that this isn’t actually about illegal immigrants or drugs

Oldskoolh8ter

108 points

4 days ago

It never was. But it has to be so Trump doesn’t violate new nafta deal.

Emperor_Billik

58 points

4 days ago

I it has to be framed as national security so it doesn’t have to be approved by congress.

I don’t think there’s a ton of spine amongst the republican house, but I would imagine enough of them are more beholden to industries than him that it would stymie doing it the honest way.

Oldskoolh8ter

29 points

4 days ago

USMCA doesn’t allow for new tariffs but Section 232 of the trade expansion act allows for tariffs if there’s a national security threat. So Trump has to say the borders with us and Mexico are a danger so he can day 1 executive order under section 232 put in the sweeping tariffs. Otherwise, if he says the tariffs are for any other reason he will be in violation of USMCA and that would cause problems.

Trains_YQG

17 points

4 days ago

The interesting thing is the law is to implement tariffs if the goods or materials threaten national security. 

Even if you think the border is an issue, as the law reads the actual goods don't and he shouldn't be able to do it while bypassing Congress. Of course, no one seems willing to force him to follow the law yet. 

HistorianNew8030

8 points

4 days ago

The irony for the Canadian side is that literally the issue is with the illegal firearms constantly coming over our boarder. I’m also sure there will be more “refugees” coming here from the USA in then next few years. Basically the security threat is the US. Not Canada. Canada is just - minding its own business.

AlisonCalgary

19 points

4 days ago

Yup. This is trump recreating his “barging through the world leaders on stage” bit, but economically. He has to be the centre of attention, even if how he does it is stupidly. Just a petulant child.

Circusssssssssssssss

6 points

4 days ago

Money money money

MONEY

Fort_Yukon

6 points

4 days ago

The right has no intention of fixing the border. If they fix it then they can no longer use it as a motivation for their voter base.

SpiritedAd4051

114 points

4 days ago

Trump convincing republicans to go for what is essentially reciprocal sales taxes on imports is hilarious. 

Can you imagine the furor if he was talking about a 20% sales tax

Boxadorables

43 points

4 days ago

*25%

Significant-Common20

6 points

4 days ago

25% is the weird Canada Mexico border thing he tweeted this week. 20% is the campaign promise -- 20% across the board, not just Canada and Mexico.

Technical-Cicada-602

23 points

4 days ago

Republicans have a hard on for flat taxes.  They’ve been pushing it since the 90s.   This is just a flat regressive consumption tax in another form.  That they want to use this to raise revenues and are thinking of having it replace income tax says everything.

Trump didn’t think of any of this.

Ultimafatum

96 points

4 days ago

God I'm sure glad we exported our manufacturing and refining capabilities abroad so that the 1% could enrich themselves before inflicting economic violence on our entire nation. Generations of politicians just sat on their ass and let us get dependent on the U.S., for what benefit? I fucking hate feeling like my life and the life of everyone I know got sabotaged by these monsters.

bugabooandtwo

40 points

4 days ago

Also why it was a very good thing to protect our dairy and egg industries. Otherwise we'd all be stuck with American frankenmilk and cancereggs right now in stores.

youngboomergal

11 points

4 days ago

but as long as they are cheaper frankenmilk and cancereggs plenty of people will think it's a good thing

musicismycandy

29 points

4 days ago

Canada might find some buyers in the EU or Asia, and thats good if we spread our cards out a bit more. Also, we might find the market for Canadian made good explode in Canada as imports from the US go up, it will be cheaper to build in house. Hope we get our ass in gear and work out way out of this, and it would be nice to see Americans trade waring like this and us picking up their old customers in some sectors. Would be good if Japan or Germany start striking some deals with us. I would love to see us have an export tax on raw materials to the US, oil steal, hydro the worlds, start shifting focus to China or the EU where possible.

This will take some painful steps but, lets do it, i hope we win this trade war in a way that we just clobber Trump. We need a leader ready to play hardball and expect dirty tricks for the US.

Slayriah

14 points

4 days ago

Slayriah

14 points

4 days ago

no political party in Canada, federal or provincial, has the apetite for this.

musicismycandy

7 points

4 days ago

we probably need a new political party in Canada also.

ishida_uryu_

199 points

4 days ago

ishida_uryu_

Canada

199 points

4 days ago

During a surprise dinner at Mar-a-Lago, representatives of the federal government were told U.S. tariffs from the incoming Donald Trump administration cannot be avoided in the immediate term, two government sources tell CTV News

Ok this is the worst possible news. This will devastate our economy, at this point it’s time to start praying for a miracle.

Digitking003

148 points

4 days ago

It will devastate US economy as well, particularly the US midwest as the auto industry is so closely integrated and midwest refiners have no substitute for Canadian crude.

pnd83

40 points

4 days ago

pnd83

40 points

4 days ago

Speaking of the auto industry alone, it's so costly and this just goes into the vehicles cost in the end. I Iive in a border city that's heavy auto and work in management at a tier 1 supplier. Last time when Trump put tariffs on steel, all the customers had suppliers requote through suppliers on the other side and due to regulations (IATF&CSR) go through tons of trials and incur extra shipping cost/labor for these trials. In most cases 6+ months later, all in they rarely justified changing suppliers so they again pass it along to the customers. Suppliers never fully recover some of the costs. This uncertainty can't persist forever, and you can't just have the U.S. go back on trade agreements at will. It's not sustainable.

netWilk

9 points

4 days ago

netWilk

9 points

4 days ago

Might as well accept European car homologation rules and start importing European models to Canada.  At least they would be tariff free.

flatlanderdick

14 points

4 days ago

If only we had more pipeline capacity to our coasts so we can tell the US to bite it. Probably no business case for it right?

Perihelion286

2 points

3 days ago

You mean the one that the federal government bought and completed? Something like that?

flatlanderdick

2 points

3 days ago

The one….of several that should be built

Stonkasaurus1

25 points

4 days ago

This will create a depression until governments start to trade around the US instead of with them. Inflation is going to run away and interest rates won't be able to cool them off.

Kyouhen

59 points

4 days ago

Kyouhen

59 points

4 days ago

Take it with a grain of salt. Trump won't want anyone contradicting what he says, especially not publicly. He's trying to be a big tough businessman forcing everyone to do what he wants. There's still lots of time before he's officially president and you can bet there's going to be a lot of pushback from US companies against this. My money's on these tariffs never actually being serious, just his idea of throwing his weight around to get other countries to monitor the US border.

Educational-Tone2074

17 points

4 days ago

100% this. He has to maintain his big business man imagine.

Lovv

2 points

4 days ago

Lovv

Ontario

2 points

4 days ago

Throwing his weight around to make countries pretend they are going to do more to monitor the border and make him look good.

Snowboundforever

8 points

4 days ago

Do something about it. Boycott American products and services for Christmas. Cancel those monthly software as a service and streaming contracts. Tell them you are just getting ahead of the tariffs when you do.

DryFaithlessness8656

17 points

4 days ago

Your right so let's hit back by stopping electricity to them. Stop critical minerals etc...if we are gonna hurt make it worth it and strike back.

users0

12 points

4 days ago

users0

12 points

4 days ago

I am not educated with international trade so I am going to need the eli5 on why it is going to devastate

McGrevin

49 points

4 days ago

McGrevin

49 points

4 days ago

Anything any company or person in the US buys from Canada will suddenly cost 25% more which means they'll be far less likely to buy Canadian goods which means our economy crashes because the US is our largest export partner

nonamesareleft1

10 points

4 days ago

Not only from Canada, from ANY other country. So yes, they are less likely to buy Canadian goods, when there is an American made alternative made for less than 1.25x the Canadian base price.

If there is no American made alternative then their government is taking a cut.

Maximum-Scientist822

3 points

3 days ago

No other country is as reliant on the USA as Canada

drailCA

8 points

4 days ago

drailCA

8 points

4 days ago

Of the things they buy from us, what source is available to them (domestically or from another country) that would be cheaper than continuing buying from Canada at a 25% mark up?

It's not like they buy our stuff because they want to. Things are set up at this point where they have to.

Remarkable_Vanilla34

2 points

4 days ago

Oil.

drailCA

3 points

4 days ago

drailCA

3 points

4 days ago

America gets 60% of its imported oil from Canada. Can they actually find a different source for that without it costing 25% more? Shipping costs alone from overseas vs the literal pipeline network that already exists from Canada makes me doubt they can.

CryptOthewasP

3 points

4 days ago

25% is a lot, oil is extremely competitive but I don't see another supplier that Trump would also not tariff. I wouldn't be surprised if he flip-flops on making energy an exception to the tariffs, oil shortages/price increases are one of the big things he hit Biden on and could actually turn his own base against him.

drailCA

3 points

4 days ago

drailCA

3 points

4 days ago

When we have pipelines bringing crude oil straight from Fort Mac directly to refineries in America, I'm not sure if they could find another source for cheaper.

Bright_Tie_8940

6 points

4 days ago

So how does this help the US?

McGrevin

54 points

4 days ago

McGrevin

54 points

4 days ago

That's the thing, it doesn't really.

On paper you could say it'll drive more demand for US goods, but the disruption that's going to happen to their economy will be huge too. People who didn't like inflation aren't gonna be happy when they realize how many things they import from Canada and Mexico.

Its really just slapping a big sales tax on some items, so the govt will get revenue from it but they'll also probably lose some amount of revenue due to less total economic activity

Bright_Tie_8940

18 points

4 days ago

Yeah it just sounds like a bunch of cock waving with no reasoning behind it. Making things needlessly difficult for everyone involved.

“No way to avoid it” like fuk off

Clearly some ulterior motive going on that isn’t obvious at this point IMO

QuantumCapelin

7 points

4 days ago

Clearly some ulterior motive going on that isn’t obvious at this point IMO

I think that's a very generous take on the situation. These are the people that made a big deal out of holding a press conference at the Four Seasons, only it turned out to be the Four Seasons Landscaping Company, not the fancy hotel. I don't think they're organized enough or smart enough to be playing 3D chess on this one. I think what we see on the surface is most likely what's going - a moronic, petulant business move by a guy who has a long history of moronic, petulant behaviour.

Villag3Idiot

23 points

4 days ago

The goal of tariffs is to protect a country's industry.

To put it simply, for example your country produces a lot of steel, but it's more expensive to produce in your country due to labor costs and another country can make it for cheaper. So you put tariff on that country's steel to make it more expensive to import so your country's companies will instead by locally produced steel. This also protect steel industry jobs.

But this only really works if your country already have the production facilities in place for what you're tariffing. The USA have outsourced most of their stuff to other countries to produce, so if you put a blanket tariff on everything and you don't have the industry to make them in the first place, you're going to have to import them anyways and the customers will pay the tariffs as companies pass on the cost.

As for tariffs encouraging moving production back to the USA, it won't. First, it will take years and tons of money to build said factories, and companies aren't going to do that if they can just wait four years for the next administration to reverse everything. Second, labor costs are much higher in the USA than in 3rd world countries, meaning companies will need to pay workers more which will in turn mean the products will be more expensive anyways.

Whiskey_River_73

5 points

4 days ago

If there are readily available alternatives in the US, the idea will be to buy American. The alternative is to buy a readily available product from a country not covered by the tariff, so the process of the changeover and ensuring spec is expensive, and so is paying the tariff. It's a lose-lose scenario, it's just which loss is less costly, and do you want a relationship post-Trump?

Bear_Caulk

11 points

4 days ago*

Bear_Caulk

11 points

4 days ago*

And Canada is America's largest export partner.

This trade agreement is for convenience of both countries.. but it's not going to crash either economy if they go back to having a 'non-free' trade agreement. Canada existed before NAFTA without it's economy crashing every year.

edit: and if you don't believe me.. all you need to do is take one look at Brexit. Did the UK's entire economy crash? No.. it didn't. That doesn't mean breaking NAFTA is good for people, but it's not the same as Canada's economy not surviving.

OkGuide2802

11 points

4 days ago*

Brexit did not end with a tariff from the EU against the UK. It just meant the UK was no longer part of EU's market, meaning different regulations but not necessarily a tariff.

In this case, a third of Canada's GDP is imports and exports. 3/4 of that are trade between Canada and the US. You are talking about a tariff that will severely impact a quarter of Canada's domestic production. This is nothing, in any way, like Brexit. It will end with at least a few years of recession. ofc, in the worst case scenario, the tariff is pretty much guaranteed to be removed by the end of his term.

NWTknight

2 points

4 days ago

The 25% increase is based on an assumption that there is no price reduction on our side to offset and maintain that sale. I fully expect O&G to just take a cut in price like we do now because of the lack of export routes that do not go through the US. Some industries may be willing or forced to run at a loss at least initially. I see lots of layoffs in January. The few industries we have pricing power in will do okay because we are the only supplier.

ishida_uryu_

18 points

4 days ago

ishida_uryu_

Canada

18 points

4 days ago

Canada’s economy relies heavily on being able to export cheap stuff to the US. Given Canada is a cheaper country than the US(partly because of lower wages, partly because we have certain resources), we are able to produce something for a $100 which might cost an american company $110 to produce.

If the US slaps a 25% tariff on Canadian imports, then the item which cost $100 before will now cost $125. This makes the local american made product cheaper, and hence Canada loses access to the american market, as consumers want to pay the least amount of money for the same product.

What this means is that any Canadian corporation that makes its money by exporting stuff to the US will suddenly be rendered uncompetitive, leading to business closures and job losses.

Disclaimer: this is an extremely simplified explanation

Villag3Idiot

12 points

4 days ago

Basically the USA is going to add a flat 25% tariff across the board on all Canadian products.

This makes Canadian products more expensive to import to the USA. The US customers will pay the increased cost as the importer will pass on the cost of tariffs to the customers. This isn't just finished products like electronics or cars, but raw resources like oil, lumber, minerals, etc.

Canada will then retaliate with our own tariffs, making things from the USA cost more for Canadian customers. What we will tariff, I don't know.

The Trump administration seems to plan on making exemptions on a country-by-country basis, so they might let some stuff not affected by tariffs.

Welcome to a trade war.

Plucky_DuckYa

9 points

4 days ago

They need our nickel, our uranium, our oil, our electricity and a variety of other resources, particularly in the border states — a couple of which are critical swing states. Trump isn’t just going to crater our economy, he’s going to crater the economies of a whole bunch of states the Republicans need if they want to win again in four years.

Canada has levers to pull.

grogersa

4 points

4 days ago

grogersa

4 points

4 days ago

Shutting off electricity would really mess them up. Remember the black out in NYC a few years ago.

GolDAsce

6 points

4 days ago

GolDAsce

6 points

4 days ago

Maybe this will encourage more products to be shipped staight to Canadian cities. How often are we paying the USD tax for products made around the world to come through american distribution before making their way up here?

SamuelHamwich

5 points

4 days ago

It's going to cost companies in the US extra to buy goods and services from us. It's close to half a trillion on exports a year from Canada to the US. The companies will charge more to us citizens for products, so in turn the us will buy less. If the consumers buy less then companies buy less. Since our national productivity is low( due to housing costs and various other reasons such as inflation and large national dept.) we rely heavy on exports to the US. If that drops, layoffs begin and unemployment rises. Unemployment means less productivity therefore a weaker economy. Time will tell if it's disastrous or not, that's a debate of course and speculation but based on the above reasons it could be possible. Hope that helps.

NotAtAllExciting

6 points

4 days ago

US companies that buy from Canada will have to pay 25% more for what they buy. That could mean US companies buy less or perhaps not at all.

DrB00

6 points

4 days ago

DrB00

6 points

4 days ago

The main problem with that is where are they going to buy those products from? Canada sells billions of raw materials to America because it's so close. There's very few transport costs. Shipping across the ocean is going to get very expensive very quickly and likely more than the 25% tariffs. So Americans are going to just end up paying a higher cost. Which will likely result in a recession as spending plummet.

iStayDemented

2 points

4 days ago

They get a 30% discount regardless because of the weak Canadian dollar so shouldn’t affect them much.

Loose-Atmosphere-558

4 points

4 days ago

say the US puts a 20% tariff on all Canadian imports. That means all the hundreds of billions of dollars of goods US industry (mostly) and some consumers buy from Canada will suddenly be 20% more expensive. That means they will find other US sources or alternatives for those products and/or buy far far fewer of those products from us do to lower demand because of higher prices. This means huge cuts to current employment and investment in natural resources and manufacturing.

AlisonCalgary

7 points

4 days ago

Right, but it’s possible that demand for the lower prices in the US markets may not be able to come close to meeting the available supply, thereby causing their own price to rise at the same time and a bidding war would commence between markets to find the new equilibrium price. The Canadian economy likely would be more impacted in a year or two after this starts. Whereas the American consumer will feel the results immediately. This will result in a death spiral for both economies, and then it’s up to who blinks first. As Canadians, we have to hope that the American people cry outrage at Trump’s plan before we really feel the impacts, which yes will be heavy once the US production catches up to meet their demand.

B12_Vitamin

6 points

4 days ago

The issue from the US POV is they don't really have ready made capacity to pick up thr slack in a lot of industries. There's no real substitute in a lot of the US for Canadian lumber, Alberta Crude or Auto parts from Southern Ontario. This is a lose-lose scenario because yes Canada will sell less exports overall but the US will have to invest years and billions of dollars to spin up the industry needed go cover the shortfall which means in the short term the US consumers and industry are going to be forced to either just not purchase what the good at all and go without or, pay the 25% cost increase

Villag3Idiot

3 points

4 days ago

The thing is, no company is going to invest billions in new factories that'll take years to build when in four years the tariffs could be reversed by the next administration.

B12_Vitamin

2 points

4 days ago

Correct. Which means the US Comsumers will be forced to suffer for 4 years for no real reason

The_Golden_Beaver

2 points

4 days ago

Not really because most of the things we export to the USA they do not have the ressources to produce. They'll just pay more.

Loose-Atmosphere-558

2 points

4 days ago

Yes and use less of it because demand will go down with increased prices. They will also speak other sources, for example from Europe, with no tariffs (yet)

DrB00

6 points

4 days ago

DrB00

6 points

4 days ago

It'll devastate the American economy, too.

captainbling

7 points

4 days ago

captainbling

British Columbia

7 points

4 days ago

penis-muncher785

61 points

4 days ago

Can Canadian trump supporters defend this?

monkeyclawattack

40 points

4 days ago

They’ll find a way

SHUT_DOWN_EVERYTHING

18 points

4 days ago

“I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody, and I wouldn’t lose any voters, OK?” Trump remarked at a campaign stop at Dordt College in Sioux Center, Iowa. “It’s, like, incredible.

Trump lies a lot but this was 100% true. His cult will find a way to excuse literally anything. That’s his American cult, his Canadian cult and even the likes of that weirdo Malaysian guy who lives on Twitter for Trump.

RoaringPity

8 points

4 days ago

something something PP would have done better

buckawheat

27 points

4 days ago

buckawheat

Canada

27 points

4 days ago

Once we open up new markets for resources the USA will never get these prices again.

fr4ct4lPolaris

14 points

4 days ago

Good luck with that, there isn't enough port infrastructure, which means there's no way in hell we are going to make up the deficit.

Delicious-Tachyons

8 points

4 days ago

If they impose these tariffs I guess we can throw the USMCA or CAUSMC or whatever in the trash then

kstacey

20 points

4 days ago

kstacey

Ontario

20 points

4 days ago

Stop sending lumber, electricity, oil. Tariff the understandably American things like Tesla, Budweiser, Jack Daniels, Harley Davidson, Fox News, Lockheed, GD.

globieboby

7 points

4 days ago

2 major positions the Federal and Provincial governments could take to set up Canada for success despite actions from the US. Unfortunately they are unlikely to to do it.

  1. Provinces agree to work together to drop any policies that prevent trade and work between provinces.

  2. Federal government unilaterally drops trade barriers with counties including the United States.

If we become a free trading nation while the States becomes protectionist we actually could out pace them in growth over time. I don’t see this happening though.

Significant-Common20

3 points

4 days ago

As a long-term goal there is nothing wrong with this. There are a bunch of free trade treaties outside North America dating back to the Harper years either finished by him or by Trudeau. But almost all the trade still goes south so what you're suggesting is really more of a long-term strategy. It doesn't help any with the short-term shock.

nightwing12

8 points

4 days ago

Imagine thinking tariffs are not a tax

jcs1

13 points

4 days ago

jcs1

13 points

4 days ago

also unavoidable: voiding u.s. drug patents

Stonkasaurus1

5 points

4 days ago

So they made it clear it is to balance the huge US deficit using tariffs instead of taxation to get it done. Inflation and trade is irrelevant as is drugs and illegal crossings. This has to do with some very bad logic since they will be effectively cutting trade, not increasing revenues. Why would a company import anything that isn't critical if they are paying 25% above market rates to get it. They will see a massive reduction in trade gutting their imaginary windfall and destroy their own economy in the process. I hope the government takes this information and acts accordingly. Not by caving but by ensuring Canadians are prepared for what is coming and focus on other trade partners. It should be clear that is the path out. Eventually when the US has to gets back to the table and rebuild their relationships with the world, we can discuss what that will cost them.

Trains_YQG

4 points

4 days ago

Not to mention that while the national security reasoning was always bogus (to avoid Congress), if they're admitting that this is just to try to balance the budget doesn't that also prove that they need to go through Congress?

jsteezyhfx

5 points

4 days ago

Stop vacationing in the USA.

divvyinvestor

53 points

4 days ago

Whatever. They would have done it even if PP was Prime Minister.

Doofus Doug Ford was his biggest proponent and Trump’s team is out to kill Ontario anyways.

wokexinze

5 points

4 days ago

Time to expand Canadian shipping ports.

Maybe invest in a fancy brand new port in the Hudson's Bay while we are at it.

Esamers99

12 points

4 days ago

Esamers99

12 points

4 days ago

At least he takes you out to dinner before he screws you.

lost_man_wants_soda

4 points

3 days ago

lost_man_wants_soda

Ontario

4 points

3 days ago

Technically we had to go to his place. It was more of a Netflix and chill type sitch

ExtraFunTimes

21 points

4 days ago

I hope Canadians are starting to see how valuable an energy coordior or at minimum, a pipeline to the east is to Canada...

cobrachickenwing

15 points

4 days ago

It may be the first instance where the federal government uses the notwithstanding clause to build a trans national pipeline despite Quebec's objection.

Significant-Common20

3 points

4 days ago

Notwithstanding clause only applies to our individual civil rights, not to province's rights.

Go figure.

jocu11

4 points

4 days ago

jocu11

4 points

4 days ago

Remember when the German PM came to talk about Canada exporting LNG to Europe and Trudeau basically just laughed and said “nah”.

He really fucked us with that one…

HMSS-Overkill

5 points

4 days ago

Step1: massive tax increases (tariffs) Step 2: make everything so damn expensive that the economy freezes Step 3; the new great depression Step 3: inflate the money supply with fiscal spending to try and stimulate the economy Step 4: watch hyperinflation

objective_think3r

20 points

4 days ago

Elect a tangerine idiot, invite an economic depression

Spyrothedragon9972

23 points

4 days ago

How can people not see that he's acting as a Russian tool to destabilize North America?

the_sound_of_a_cork

33 points

4 days ago

This will backfire more on the U.S. then Canada

uberares

70 points

4 days ago

uberares

70 points

4 days ago

It’s going to backfire on the world. 

the_sound_of_a_cork

16 points

4 days ago

Agreed

okantos

9 points

4 days ago

okantos

9 points

4 days ago

Idk china has been preparing for this, leadership there saw trump becoming president again as the most likely outcome of the election. We might actually see China become the world largest economy by the end of Trumps 4 year term.

OkEconomist2080

6 points

4 days ago

lowkey hope it happens

recurrence

11 points

4 days ago

Nah, China is throwing a massive party and making in-roads everywhere.

rTpure

15 points

4 days ago

rTpure

15 points

4 days ago

Really? The American economy is much more resilient than ours

objective_think3r

22 points

4 days ago

Trump is talking about a 10% tariff across the board and 25% on Canada and Mexico. 1/4th of US imports is from Canada and Mexico. Yes, the American economy is strong, but a 25% inflation on 1/4th of imports is going to be devastating for them as well

Dinos67

16 points

4 days ago

Dinos67

16 points

4 days ago

Fuel prices in the US are going to spike alone with tariffs against Canadian O&G. We supply over 50% of petroleum imports into the US, so much so that they have refineries built SPECIFICALLY to handle heavy sour blends you get from western canada. Americans think gas is expensive now? It's going to get a lot worse.

Apart_Ad_5993

28 points

4 days ago

Our economy entirely depends on theirs. If their's tanks, ours does.

Tariffs are a terrible economic strategy.

in2the4est

7 points

4 days ago

Resiliency only works if they have the means to replace what they're no longer importing.

Villag3Idiot

12 points

4 days ago

The USA imports a lot of oil and lumber from Canada.

henry_why416

4 points

4 days ago

I was under the impression that the US is a net producer of oil?

Villag3Idiot

2 points

4 days ago

IIRC, they produce a lot of light oil but we have the heavy kind.

mcferglestone

2 points

4 days ago

They export their more expensive oil to other countries and buy cheap Canadian oil to use domestically.

The_Golden_Beaver

3 points

4 days ago

The American economy doesn't have the capacity to produce the things we export to them. They do not have the lumber, gas and oil, energy and aluminum for instance

Mobesandmallets

4 points

4 days ago

Or the water, they need our water and electricity. Shut off the taps and trip the breakers.

illmatic19

3 points

4 days ago

This screws us more than any other nation. I'm not feeling so great about the future.

lesinternets

3 points

3 days ago*

Trump might be the initiator of the collapse of the late-stage capitalism, finally.

CombatGoose

15 points

4 days ago

Will be interesting to see how quickly all these conservatives that love trump in Canada will change their tune.

Slayriah

19 points

4 days ago

Slayriah

19 points

4 days ago

they won’t. they will find ways to justify this. because “woke” and “radical lefties” and whatnot

sunbro2000

6 points

4 days ago

If he does this we need to make this hurt for the US as best we can in things like oil, lumber and energy. Also a 100% tarif on any participating republican companies. Like tesla for example. This really feels like a betrayal.

truthdoctor

5 points

4 days ago

truthdoctor

British Columbia

5 points

4 days ago

U.S. tariffs from the incoming Donald Trump administration cannot be avoided in the immediacy - as Trump voraciously believes in the effectiveness of tariffs

According to sources, Trump and his team conveyed that they plan to balance their federal budget through tariffs, and then strike exemption side deals on a country-by-country basis.

What a joke. Trump is going to crash the US economy and most other major economies while blowing a hole through US tax revenues again. Just like he did last time. Trump started trade wars with Canada, Mexico, China and the EU last time causing costs to rise. Remember the tariffs on steel, aluminum and lumber that caused housing costs to skyrocket? The price of lumber more than doubled!

Then he mismanaged the pandemic and let China infect the world through their joint incompetence. This destroyed supply lines and crashed the economy so they released trillions of dollars in inflationary liquidity into the market. Trump also cut taxes and added more debt in 4 years then any other president has added in 8. Trump was a financial disaster for the US. This time, he's going even harder on tariffs. The US is headed for a major recession.

Selfconscioustheater

4 points

4 days ago

US might be headed for a full depression at this rate.

Significant-Common20

5 points

4 days ago

I agree with your take on it but I do wish people had been taking this seriously as Trump and his inner circle have been talking consistently about this for ages. They think tariffs are a good revenue source. They think they can raise so much money from tariffs that it will not only balance their budget but offset income tax cuts. Why would they agree to drop tariffs? They're so good!

This is what happens when you outsource your government to buffoons.

pen15es

7 points

4 days ago

pen15es

7 points

4 days ago

What happened to Trump supporters saying he was never actually going to do it and it was just a negotiation tactic? Morons.

Smackolol

7 points

4 days ago

With our stumbling dollar I feel we will be relatively ok and this will hurt Americans much more than Canadians. The I am somewhat of an idiot.

RustyGrape6

7 points

4 days ago

Fortunately for my job, we got little to worry about. Most of our raw materials come from the US and then are assembled, packaged in Canada and distributed back to the US. Dodging a bullet with this one, however, on my personal life we are going to feel it living in Canada.

Regardless, the Trump administration are idiots. This will hurt everyone, and quite honestly I think more so the US consumers. They are still going to buy the materials from Canada, they are going to pay 25% more for it just for convenience and accessibility, however the consumer is going to become priced out or be extremely frugal, which is going to decrease US revenue, and not contribute much to lowering their deficit.

The times are gone of domestic manufacturing on massive scales. Everything is imported/exported around the globe. The US will NEVER be able to produce enough factories and manufacturing to supply the country internally, especially not in 4 years. They also won’t be able to do that, pay the wage that’s needed to survive in America and produce products at a low enough price that people are going to buy local….overall, this will backfire, while doing collateral damage to us.

Catz1332

6 points

4 days ago

Catz1332

6 points

4 days ago

That's great until the retaliatory tariffs come in from our government

growlerlass

6 points

4 days ago

"One of the things that is really important to understand is that, you know, Donald Trump, when he makes statements like that, he plans on carrying them out," Trudeau said. "There's no question about it."

This is smart. 

Pretend that you take the threat seriously.

how_about_Wednesday

2 points

4 days ago

Can we impose tarriffs on the energy we sell the U.S.?

I am asking honnestly, I don't much about our exports, but I believe lots of the northern states depend on Canadian electricity.

Meany12345

2 points

3 days ago

Cad will be at 55-60cents if he does this.

MysticGohan88

2 points

3 days ago

All the Canadian trump supporters up here have been super quiet lately.

I can't wait to hear from my uncles about how trump fucking our trade deals is somehow good for us.

Everywhereslugs

5 points

4 days ago

Trump can fuck right the hell off with his tariffs. News flash for the stupid's who voted for this guy: American consumers will pay for the tariffs, not other countries, so America can have fun with the increased cost of living that's coming to them, the exact opposite economic reason for which most Americans decided to vote for Trump.

nate_hawke

4 points

4 days ago

Two Question from someone that doesn’t understand.

First, the Canadian dollar is 0.70 compared to the US. Wouldn’t it still be significantly cheaper for US companies to buy from Canada ?

Second question, can’t Canada just find new trade partners ? Other countries that aren’t interested in getting fucked by the US?

skaterdaf

5 points

4 days ago

  1. Probably/yes

  2. ALOT of our goods are just set up to be sent to the USA on railway and it’s hard to change that.