U.S. President Donald Trump is imposing tariffs on nearly every country on the planet.
Those tariffs show no regard for how strong an ally a country has been, nor do past trade agreements seem to have any impact on the rate being imposed. Further, there is little regard for how much of a strategic partner a nation may be to the United States. Japan – a host to many US troops and the largest single holder of US treasuries – is being hit with tariffs, as is South Korea, another key strategic ally of the US in the region.
Unsurprisingly, the reaction is less than positive:
“America’s Asian trading partners are reacting to President Donald Trump’s latest threats of tariffs with frustration and disbelief, after months of what they believed were good-faith efforts to make a deal.
“To give adjectives to the reaction or response, it would be, number one, shock. Number two, frustration. And number three, anger,” a former Japanese official said in an interview.”
And it looks like China is set to benefit:
“I am quite sure that Trump tariffs will be pushing these countries closer to China,” the former Japanese official said. “In a sense, the tariffs are the greatest geopolitical gift to China. The tariffs would erode decadeslong efforts to pull these countries closer to the West.”
The Japanese government, for its part, took particular umbrage at the suggestion from one White House official, granted anonymity to discuss internal strategy, that the administration “hasn’t received meaningful engagement from” Japan and the other countries receiving letters Monday.”
Over 20 tariff letters
This week alone, Trump has sent over 20 tariff letters to U.S. trading partners, with one of the most recent letters being sent to Canada last night. While the details are still being worked out – USMCA goods may be exempted – is is clear that the tariffs on Canada are part of a broader US effort to turn their trading relationships away from mutally beneficial arrangements to one-sided extractive relationships, where the US gets to impose higher tariffs on its partners while demanding no retaliatory response.
I mention this to point out the absurdity of those who are trying to blame the Canadian government for Trump’s tariff threats, as if Canada did something uniquely wrong here. If that was the case, then why were so many other countries, including staunch US allies, also hit with tariffs?
Blaming everyone but Trump
As I noted in a recent video, the crop of influencers who are blaming Canada for Trump’s tariffs are exhibiting profound weakness:
It is both weak and illogical to blame Canada for Trump’s tariffs when he is simultaneously imposing tariffs on so many other nations.
Sadly, some continue to pin the blame for these tariffs everywhere but where it belongs. They refuse to acknowledge that Donald Trump is the one making these tariff threats, and they instead blame the Canadian government, Canadian voters, or Canada itself.
Many of those blaming Canada like to pretend they are ‘Canadian patriots,’ while instead advocating for the complete opposite of patriotism. Further, the ‘blame Canada crowd’ often identify themselves with the Conservatives, even though right-wing leaders in Canada like Pierre Poilievre and John Rustad are accurately pinning blame on the U.S., rather than on Canada:
Both Poilievre and Rustad get it. When facing an economic attack from outside our country, Canadians need to stand together, regardless of our partisan affiliation.
This is something the blame Canada brigade still hasn’t figured out. They are too busy trying to get clicks by siding with Donald Trump against Canada’s interests, without realizing that whatever short-term benefit they gain in attention will be outweighed by a long-term loss of credibility. Donald Trump’s ever-changing demands, false view of how trade works, and desire for autarky are his responsibility, not Canada’s, and it is fundamentally absurd to argue otherwise.
Spencer Fernando
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