Donald Trump is going to war with Canada again, threatening 35% tariffs unless the country does a better job of stopping fentanyl from coming across the border, as well as the dairy tariffs currently in place.
Canada initially tried to play tough guy, but it did not last very long.
It now seems like Canada wants to work with Trump rather than continue this senseless feud between the two allies.
Trump, as usual, dropped the bombshell on Truth Social, stating, “The United States imposed Tariffs on Canada to deal with our Nation’s Fentanyl crisis, which is caused, in part, by Canada’s failure to stop the drugs from pouring into our Country.”
He continued, “Starting August 1, 2025, we will charge Canada a Tariff of 35 percent on Canadian products sent into the United States, separate from all Sectoral Tariffs.”
Trump also put Canada on notice that any attempt to bypass tariffs by using third-party countries would result in the tariffs going even higher.
President Trump then gave them the out, suggesting more production in America to avoid penalties in the future.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney immediately responded to Trump’s threat, posturing, of course.
He stated, "As you will recall, the United States imposed tariffs on Canada to deal with our nation's fentanyl crisis, which is caused, in part, by Canada's failure to stop the drugs from pouring into our country. Instead of working with the United States, Canada retaliated with its own Tariffs.
"We are committed to continuing to work with the United States to save lives and protect communities in both our countries.”
Canada does have some leverage on us in terms of energy, but there is no way Canada can win a tariff war against the United States, and that realization seemed to hit home rather quickly.
Canada was going to reportedly double its tariffs against the United States, but it would appear that Carney has decided to back down from that.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford, however, seems like he wants a war with Trump, having stated, “In the face of President Trump’s latest threat, we need to come together. We need a plan on how Canada will respond and how we’ll protect our workers, businesses and communities.”
British Columbia Premier David Eby also took a shot at Trump, saying that Trump’s letter to Canada was “flailing and factually incorrect,” adding, “Other F words come to mind. Just one more reminder of why Canadians need to come together, to grow our economy and stand strong.”
I think Trump has proven that he will not back down from this line, and he couldn't care less about tariffs being levied against the US, only planning to squeeze everyone until they negotiate a better deal. Considering how fragile Canada’s economy is right now, I would suggest they come to the table and get this settled.
