Some after coffee thoughts on the collapse of U.S. - Canada trade talks.
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Some after coffee thoughts on the collapse of U.S. - Canada trade talks. (Rant incoming)
This document is all over the news this morning, and shared widely on #MastodonCanada. Some were surprised by the collapse of discussions, primarily media and businesses, but there was a slim chance of ever achieving a deal.Statement by Prime Minister Carney on Canada-U.S. trade negotiations | Prime Minister of Canada
https://www.pm.gc.ca/en/news/statements/2026/08/21/statement-prime-minister-carney-canada-us-trade-negotiations -
Some after coffee thoughts on the collapse of U.S. - Canada trade talks. (Rant incoming)
This document is all over the news this morning, and shared widely on #MastodonCanada. Some were surprised by the collapse of discussions, primarily media and businesses, but there was a slim chance of ever achieving a deal.Statement by Prime Minister Carney on Canada-U.S. trade negotiations | Prime Minister of Canada
https://www.pm.gc.ca/en/news/statements/2026/08/21/statement-prime-minister-carney-canada-us-trade-negotiationsTrump is quoted regularly that his favourite word is "Tariffs". The likelihood that he would alter his misguided approach to trade policy is close to zero. He sees money pouring into the government but doesn't understand the damage done to his economy or impact felt by U.S. consumers. Because he's also incapable of learning, his trade negotiators weren't going to change his mind. As long as he remains in office, tariffs will remain central to his trade policy.
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Trump is quoted regularly that his favourite word is "Tariffs". The likelihood that he would alter his misguided approach to trade policy is close to zero. He sees money pouring into the government but doesn't understand the damage done to his economy or impact felt by U.S. consumers. Because he's also incapable of learning, his trade negotiators weren't going to change his mind. As long as he remains in office, tariffs will remain central to his trade policy.
The reference to the "last minute changes in the U.S. proposed terms" is typical Trump. He talked about the tactic in his book, Art of the Deal (that he didn't write), where you get close to a deal and then throw something outrageous onto the table. His deals are not good for both sides, standard practice for achieving stable longterm partnerships, but must be an overwhelming win. He has to dominate the partner in order to feel he is winning. Canada was never going to get a fair deal.
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The reference to the "last minute changes in the U.S. proposed terms" is typical Trump. He talked about the tactic in his book, Art of the Deal (that he didn't write), where you get close to a deal and then throw something outrageous onto the table. His deals are not good for both sides, standard practice for achieving stable longterm partnerships, but must be an overwhelming win. He has to dominate the partner in order to feel he is winning. Canada was never going to get a fair deal.
There's the whole issue of trust. Trump is capricious, has obvious signs of cognitive decline, doesn't care about partnership (except with Russia and North Korea...) and was just as likely to trash any agreement if some upset billionaire dropped a few million into his pocket. The current U.S. - Canada trade deal, #CUSMA, was negotiated in Trump's 1st term and he's referred to it as the worst deal negotiated in history. He's not sufficiently self-aware to realize he's trashing his deal.
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There's the whole issue of trust. Trump is capricious, has obvious signs of cognitive decline, doesn't care about partnership (except with Russia and North Korea...) and was just as likely to trash any agreement if some upset billionaire dropped a few million into his pocket. The current U.S. - Canada trade deal, #CUSMA, was negotiated in Trump's 1st term and he's referred to it as the worst deal negotiated in history. He's not sufficiently self-aware to realize he's trashing his deal.
oh come on, don't you think he knows he is trashing his own deal? I think , he's just playing stupid...as a fox.
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There's the whole issue of trust. Trump is capricious, has obvious signs of cognitive decline, doesn't care about partnership (except with Russia and North Korea...) and was just as likely to trash any agreement if some upset billionaire dropped a few million into his pocket. The current U.S. - Canada trade deal, #CUSMA, was negotiated in Trump's 1st term and he's referred to it as the worst deal negotiated in history. He's not sufficiently self-aware to realize he's trashing his deal.
Thinking about retaliation. Applying reciprocal #Tariffs is the stated next step. That will raise prices for us and makes it more important than ever to #BuyCanadian. Our government needs to work on a strict labeling law that makes it easy to identify Canadian products, and stop importers from #MapleWashing their goods. Push that legislation through immediately.
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Thinking about retaliation. Applying reciprocal #Tariffs is the stated next step. That will raise prices for us and makes it more important than ever to #BuyCanadian. Our government needs to work on a strict labeling law that makes it easy to identify Canadian products, and stop importers from #MapleWashing their goods. Push that legislation through immediately.
@PaulBusch
Vigorously nodding in agreement with Buy Canadian and strict labelling laws!! -
Thinking about retaliation. Applying reciprocal #Tariffs is the stated next step. That will raise prices for us and makes it more important than ever to #BuyCanadian. Our government needs to work on a strict labeling law that makes it easy to identify Canadian products, and stop importers from #MapleWashing their goods. Push that legislation through immediately.
Other legislation that should be passed immediately is the Digital Services Tax, legislation that was canceled in order to foster good relations in the trade talks. That sure worked. Pass it immediately and make U.S. tech pay taxes in Canada for profits made from servicing Canadians.
There should also be increased export duties on anything the U.S. still needs - aluminum, oil, electric power, potash, etc. Build a fund from these taxes and use it to support other industries with fewer options. -
Thinking about retaliation. Applying reciprocal #Tariffs is the stated next step. That will raise prices for us and makes it more important than ever to #BuyCanadian. Our government needs to work on a strict labeling law that makes it easy to identify Canadian products, and stop importers from #MapleWashing their goods. Push that legislation through immediately.
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Thinking about retaliation. Applying reciprocal #Tariffs is the stated next step. That will raise prices for us and makes it more important than ever to #BuyCanadian. Our government needs to work on a strict labeling law that makes it easy to identify Canadian products, and stop importers from #MapleWashing their goods. Push that legislation through immediately.
The best way to apply reciprocal tariffs is to target US exports that we produce in sufficient quantities domestically AND promote the domestic alternative.
The second best way to apply them is to target US exports that we can source from another country AND publicly announce what that alternative is.
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Thinking about retaliation. Applying reciprocal #Tariffs is the stated next step. That will raise prices for us and makes it more important than ever to #BuyCanadian. Our government needs to work on a strict labeling law that makes it easy to identify Canadian products, and stop importers from #MapleWashing their goods. Push that legislation through immediately.
@PaulBusch just look for the box of cereal thats exactly 1¢ cheaper than the US brand, that'll be canadian
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Other legislation that should be passed immediately is the Digital Services Tax, legislation that was canceled in order to foster good relations in the trade talks. That sure worked. Pass it immediately and make U.S. tech pay taxes in Canada for profits made from servicing Canadians.
There should also be increased export duties on anything the U.S. still needs - aluminum, oil, electric power, potash, etc. Build a fund from these taxes and use it to support other industries with fewer options.The reference to foreign investment in Carney's statement should be managed with caution. We also need laws to protect our sovereignty or we could lose whole industries to foreign ownership.
It's been pointed out that Trump could convene a meeting of the top 25 U.S. billionaires and tell them to go on a buying spree of Canadian businesses, mineral rights, land or buildings. Several of our Premiers would gladly privatize whole ministries with the right offer. -
The reference to foreign investment in Carney's statement should be managed with caution. We also need laws to protect our sovereignty or we could lose whole industries to foreign ownership.
It's been pointed out that Trump could convene a meeting of the top 25 U.S. billionaires and tell them to go on a buying spree of Canadian businesses, mineral rights, land or buildings. Several of our Premiers would gladly privatize whole ministries with the right offer.There isn't enough oversight to stop U.S. businesses from gaining control, particularly if they buy up lesser known companies or small bits of strategic land. Only the big deals seem to attract scrutiny - like recent deals to sell off a digital payment network or national cannabis distributor to U.S. investment firms. Here's a poorly kept secret - Canadian companies won't save Canada. If they're offered a load of cash, they are not thinking about #CanadianSovereignty.
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There isn't enough oversight to stop U.S. businesses from gaining control, particularly if they buy up lesser known companies or small bits of strategic land. Only the big deals seem to attract scrutiny - like recent deals to sell off a digital payment network or national cannabis distributor to U.S. investment firms. Here's a poorly kept secret - Canadian companies won't save Canada. If they're offered a load of cash, they are not thinking about #CanadianSovereignty.
Anyway, I'm glad we're fighting back. Bullies will keep stealing your lunch money unless you fight back and bloody their nose. They might beat the crap out of you but more likely they'll go and find a softer target. And this particular bully is about to get crushed in U.S. midterm elections - assuming the Trump government allows those elections to go ahead.
(Steps off soapbox)
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The reference to foreign investment in Carney's statement should be managed with caution. We also need laws to protect our sovereignty or we could lose whole industries to foreign ownership.
It's been pointed out that Trump could convene a meeting of the top 25 U.S. billionaires and tell them to go on a buying spree of Canadian businesses, mineral rights, land or buildings. Several of our Premiers would gladly privatize whole ministries with the right offer.@PaulBusch A very good point - I've no doubt trump's pirates have already drawn up a list of Canadian suppliers of critical goods to target and buy out if the time comes.
Canada must find a way to identify and protect these businesses, not only to keep them Canadian, but also to avoid having the tables turned and find themselves paying tariffs on Canadian produced goods, from an american owned internal company.
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@PaulBusch A very good point - I've no doubt trump's pirates have already drawn up a list of Canadian suppliers of critical goods to target and buy out if the time comes.
Canada must find a way to identify and protect these businesses, not only to keep them Canadian, but also to avoid having the tables turned and find themselves paying tariffs on Canadian produced goods, from an american owned internal company.
Canadian resources are an obvious target - particularly where the majority of profit is made from downstream refinement or remanufacturing. A U.S. firm could buy up a mining company and direct all extraction to be exported to the U.S. at cost. That minimizes tariff impact and they derive the profit once the ore is refined. Look at Alberta's oil industry today where it's estimated that more tha 70% of the profit benefits foreign investors.
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@PaulBusch A very good point - I've no doubt trump's pirates have already drawn up a list of Canadian suppliers of critical goods to target and buy out if the time comes.
Canada must find a way to identify and protect these businesses, not only to keep them Canadian, but also to avoid having the tables turned and find themselves paying tariffs on Canadian produced goods, from an american owned internal company.
We really need a list of sectors that are in the 'national interest' with all sales of businesses in those sectors to any foreign interest requiring government approval (and the application being publicly posted in advance). Make Govenrment justify why it's allowing any critical industries to be sold before the sale can commence.
We also need a a law that before ANY Canadian business can be sold to a foreign interest, Canadians need to be given the right of first refusal on the purchase.
*Note: We also need to define foreign interest as anyone not considered a legal resident of Canada (even if they are citizen) or Canadian citizens like Elon could bypass any protections while serving the interests of another country.
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Other legislation that should be passed immediately is the Digital Services Tax, legislation that was canceled in order to foster good relations in the trade talks. That sure worked. Pass it immediately and make U.S. tech pay taxes in Canada for profits made from servicing Canadians.
There should also be increased export duties on anything the U.S. still needs - aluminum, oil, electric power, potash, etc. Build a fund from these taxes and use it to support other industries with fewer options.@PaulBusch Cory Doctorow (@pluralistic) proposed a brilliant retaliatory strategy by hitting the US where it really hurts — digital rights management. Here's his article on the topic via the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives: https://www.policyalternatives.ca/news-research/what-if-canada-stopped-upholding-u-s-tech-companies-intellectual-property/ #cdnpoli #tariffs
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@PaulBusch Cory Doctorow (@pluralistic) proposed a brilliant retaliatory strategy by hitting the US where it really hurts — digital rights management. Here's his article on the topic via the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives: https://www.policyalternatives.ca/news-research/what-if-canada-stopped-upholding-u-s-tech-companies-intellectual-property/ #cdnpoli #tariffs
I remember reading this but forgot about it this morning. Thanks for sharing, and yes it's brilliant and the U.S. tech bros would go crazy.
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Other legislation that should be passed immediately is the Digital Services Tax, legislation that was canceled in order to foster good relations in the trade talks. That sure worked. Pass it immediately and make U.S. tech pay taxes in Canada for profits made from servicing Canadians.
There should also be increased export duties on anything the U.S. still needs - aluminum, oil, electric power, potash, etc. Build a fund from these taxes and use it to support other industries with fewer options.@PaulBusch
If Carney cancelled endangered species protections and other environmental regs for trump, he needs to reverse those also. All capitulations made must be reversed.
