Trump is violating the Canada-US-Mexico trade agreement and is treating Canada as if we were a hostile nation, rather than a friend of the United States. In the face of this unprecedented economic assault, Canadians must stand together.
The tariffs are happening.
U.S. President Donald Trump has decided to unilaterally abrogate the Canada-US-Mexico trade agreement by imposing tariffs on our country:
“The latest, according to my info:
Canada expecting 25% tariffs on all but “energy” at 10%. That word was used, not specifically oil. Takes effect Tuesday.
Canadians were warned not to retaliate, but this isn’t the first time that’s been said. Canada will still retaliate.”
The Wall Street Journal is already calling this “the dumbest trade war in history”:
The Canadian government and provincial governments responded in good faith to Trump’s stated concerns. The Canadian government and the provinces proposed significant new border spending and made the case to American businesses and American consumers on why a strong Canada-U.S. trade relationship benefits both nations.
And it must be repeated that Canadian – and Mexican – officials have every right to expect the U.S. to stick to NAFTA 2.0, a trade deal Trump called the “most balanced” in history. It’s the U.S., not Canada or Mexico, that is violating the agreement.
Unfortunately, the United States government under Donald Trump has chosen to break their word and violate their trade agreements with us.
As a result, we are now facing what is essentially a massive economic attack on our nation.
In the face of this attack, all Canadians must stand together.
Right now, we shouldn’t look at ourselves as partisan ‘conservatives,’ ‘liberals,’ ‘new democrats,’ or anything other than Canadians.
Donald Trump wants to wreck our economy. He wants us to submit. He’s so arrogant that he demands the right to impose destructive tariffs on us while telling us we can’t retaliate.
That is something the Canadian People cannot abide.
We must retaliate, with hard-hitting tariffs.
We must make clear that those who threaten us and try to intimidate us will only strengthen our resolve.
We must rebuild our military and ensure our nation is well-defended – including by producing as much military equipment domestically as we possibly can.
We must reach out to fellow democracies and deepen trade and military ties with the European Union, CANZUK countries, and more.
We must take immediate action to build pipelines to reduce our dependence on the United States.
And we must have each other’s backs by buying Canadian and putting partisanship aside as much as possible.
Canada is a nation with a strong well-educated & hardworking population, a proud history, abundant natural resources, and wealthy allies. Now is the time for us to make the most of our potential, and turn our nation into a strong, secure, and prosperous powerhouse.
Spencer Fernando
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