When it comes to trade deals, ALL countries negotiate intensely to protect their own industries. For any country to claim another is unfair in doing so in pure nonsense. Canada protects its dairy and cultural sectors, while the U.S. heavily subsidizes its own massive agricultural, technology, and energy sectors. Other countries do the same with areas they deem important. The fact is, everyone has interests to protect and actively engages in the practice. No one country holds a higher ground here. It simply isn’t reality.
Suggestions that one country is “ripping off” another are equally fabricated designed to divide and generate animosity. Trade deals are just that. Deals. Countries, companies, and people enter into deals when they feel there is an overall benefit. Therefore, to hold claims of “being ripped off” from the deals made in one’s benefit just doesn’t make sense. It is true the US buys about 566 billion worth of goods from Canada while they (Canada) purchase 377 billion from the US. Yes, that means the US spends 81.6 billion more but they also have 334 million people compared to Canada’s 40 million or 12%. That works out to$1,694 per capita spending for the US compared to $9,425 for Canada. Basically, Canadians spend 5.6 times as much on trade than the US on a per capita basis. How is this “ripping off” the US? The deliberately divisive statement is based on a difference in gross spending without regard for reality. One must account for the population of each country to see things for what they really are, 560% more Canadian spending than American.
Truth is the pre-tariff reality was an economic engine that created millions of interconnected jobs on both sides of the border. Both countries benefited, both got along. Washington’s heavy-handed tariff tool is to force re-negotiations on specific sticky points (like dairy), rather than a response to actual systemic cheating by Canada and it has cost plenty. U.S. tariffs are estimated at an average of $1,000 to over $2,500 per US household in 2026, depending on the economic model and ongoing trade policy shifts. Its basically a tax on the American people migrating 110 billion dollars from people to government. Canada’s retaliation isn’t any better costing its people 4 billion. None of this is expected to actually reduce overall trade although it will shift types of trade while raping decent people of their hard earned money on both sides of the border.
Yes, Canada and US have had long-standing trade disagreements between the two nations and everyone wants a good trade deal for their own country. Yet this isn’t what is happening. Instead, divisive rhetoric is spilled out poisoning the minds of many to fight against each other while governments steal money from the people to fund whatever agenda they have next. Most don’t seem to notice or care and many politicians are supporting these actions as if somehow they will result in a better nation for whichever one you happen to live in.
Trade wars are unhelpful, dividing and stealing money from citizens on both sides and collapsing some businesses. Alienating words serve to damage relations – not strengthen. Our countries are not better off in the fight. Both can have their own social and political views without disabling trade and general cooperation. The “United We Stand, Divided We Fall” statement doesn’t just apply to the US itself. Obviously, united countries working together will accomplish more than countries divided ever will. Dressing this up as patriotism for the US or unity and a stronger Canada for Canadians is simply fabricating a story with no substance in reality to justify the continued theft of your money. Yes, each country needs to seek independence in its own right, but each must recognize the benefit of having good, stable, long term partners as well.
In the words of Don Henly and Glenn Frey – directed at all our politicians on both sides – Get over it!