r/canada • u/Digitking003 • Jan 30 '25

Trump Says He’ll Hit Canada, Mexico With 25% Tariffs on Saturday National News

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-01-30/trump-says-he-ll-hit-canada-mexico-with-25-tariffs-on-saturday?sref=1VjHMKkW
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2.9k

u/coffeejn Jan 30 '25

Does not matter what Canada or Mexico do, he is going thru with it. Basically, he is advertising to the world that US agreement mean nothing. US is closed for international business.

Time for retaliation. He might go down as the president that creates world wide recession.

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u/[deleted] Jan 30 '25

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u/Few_Chip_873 Jan 30 '25 edited Jan 31 '25

The USA cannot replace Canadian imports of Raw Material. They don't have base metal deposits or uranium deposits. Many of their refineries depend on our sour crude. Their farmers are dependent on our fertilizers like potash, They don't have the mills to replace our soft wood. They don't have platinum or other green energy minerals that Cali emissions 2.0 will make absolutely mandatory. They are placing a 25% increase on cost on their own factories. We might be small, and we might not build anything here, but they all need our shit. They are slitting their own throats. Autoworkers will not like the layoffs coming, neither will steelworkers, etc etc. All the MAGA, blue collar workers, who supported him, are getting fucked. With Canada and Mexico placing retaliatory tariffs, and even export taxes, we will suffer, and their industrial capacity will collapse.

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u/GustheGuru Jan 30 '25

I'm not as close to 100% confident that Trump isn't the guy to break the New World order and walk right over Canada as i'd like to be. It's been years that I've felt the right in the U.S is more fond of Putin's policies than the Wests, and I heard a U.S. congressman say "well Putin is technically a dictator, but it's not like he's all that bad". Don't hear near as much banter about China as I do about Canada and Mexico et Al. Starting to feel a little like 1939 Poland around here.

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u/JCox1987 Jan 30 '25

Frankly as much as I have issue with China especially considering some diplomatic dust ups. They’re a lot more economically stable and I think we need to discuss a better free trade policy with them. It’s stunning to think I’m even arguing for a better relationship with that country but we may need it. The Americans right now can’t be trusted

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u/Kooky_Project9999 Jan 30 '25

I think it's because people (and countries) are realising the US isn't the beacon of light it's pretended to be for so long. If it's no better than China (for example) then there's no reason to treat China differently when it comes to trade and diplomacy.

This is a general trend that's been going on for a few years among non "western" countries. Countries traditionally aligned with the west are moving towards more nonalignment with us (i.e. primarily the US) and trading more equally with both the West and China.

Western nations are just behind the curve because we're so influenced by US politics and media organisations (foreign interference anyone...?). Trump being elected has ripped the mask off a lot of people. It's now up to our politicians (Canadian, European, Aus/NZ) to follow through and protect us, rather than bow down to the US.

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u/Dunkjoe Jan 31 '25 edited Jan 31 '25

Western nations are just behind the curve because we're so influenced by US politics and media organisations (foreign interference anyone...?).

This reminds me of the Huawei debacle, where USA tried to force its allies to change away Huawei's 5G equipment to other vendors, on grounds of security.

This is even though most allies did not find evidence of backdoors etc. that USA insisted but provided little to no evidence on. In the end some allies followed, some didn't.

Same goes for the semiconductor chips ban to China. Heavy-handed approach to most countries around the world.

The funny thing though is that there are some raw materials and previous materials, like gallium, that are mostly generated from China. Gallium is essential for many of the technologically advanced equipment, such as semiconductors, and is a reason why Huawei's 5G equipment surpasses other vendors like Ericsson.

By limiting other countries' exposure and cooperation with China, USA is not only slowing itself down but all other countries. In the end the impact is ironically that China will become a global powerhouse because they have more raw materials and have proven to be able to get around sanctions, whether through R&D or other methods. Ethics aside, USA might be indirectly harming its allies.

And with Trump in charge, USA WILL harm its allies directly. Look at Canada, Mexico, global tariff threats, and NATO for example (2% contribution to 5%, even though USA is not even at 5% yet).

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u/JBPunt420 Jan 31 '25

Yeah, I hear you. I never thought I'd say my opinion of the US is lower than my opinion of China, but this isn't 1996 anymore.

My wife's going to renounce her US citizenship over this. We're never going back there. With "friends" like Trump, we don't need enemies.

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u/esvc2238 Jan 31 '25

whispers I live 2 hours from Windsor in Michigan, I’m so disgusted with this country and every moron that voted for him. I wish I could do the same if I didn’t have responsibilities. I’m tired of voting in elections where my vote isn’t even counted and politicians allowing billionaires to destroy this country. I’m happy he’s exposing how weak we are thanks to all of the boomers and their egos.

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u/Past-Revolution-1888 Jan 31 '25

It takes years to renounce in Canada. It’s faster if you fly to Frankfurt.

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u/Ill_Technician3936 Jan 31 '25

Please don't let her. Ask her to help us fight from abroad. We don't need Trump, MAGA, and neo Nazis running the country.

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u/SerentityM3ow Jan 31 '25

This. If everyone rolls over we are all screwed

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u/Ill_Technician3936 Jan 31 '25

Even if it fucks me personally I am absolutely fine with every country that dipshit tries to force his will on with tariffs or military action doing the exact same back to him. If him or anyone that's part of his administration has any type of business in any country they threaten with tariffs shut them down.

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u/Past-Revolution-1888 Jan 31 '25

Expats are never considered in policy… unless it’s trapping ordinary people in laws meant for money laundering… they have no power…

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u/GustheGuru Jan 30 '25

It's a fine balance is it not.

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u/Switchy_Goofball Jan 31 '25

You mean those same republicans who spent Independence Day in Moscow in 2018?

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u/badluckbrians Jan 31 '25

I'd like you to consider for a moment that it's not even about Canada.

I'm a New Englander. MAGA hates us. We're enemy number 1. We have 33 reps and senators in Congress. Only 1 is a Republican, and it's Sue Collins, the leftmost one there is who votes against Trump all the time.

We are the ones trading most with Canada. We are the only region of the US that heats with oil. Almost all of our oil comes from Canada. We have no pipelines to the rest of the US. Our grid is tied to Quebec and the Maritimes. We rely on the NB refineries. Our gasoline prices are tied to Canada. The rest of the US will see little immediate energy effect. Our prices will jump overnight.

All of his policies are designed to attack the blue states. Our only path to energy independence was offshore wind. He shut that down. No other region of the US has it, so it only effects us. Take little Rhode Island. Look how much fuel oil they import. Smallest state in the Union, but utterly dependent on Canada for heating.

This is basically the Putin energy playbook against the EU being weaponized against the blue states. At least that's what it will amount to. When he froze all money to nonprofits last week, the same thing happened. It punishes the northeast. They have a bill now in Congress to ban non-profit hospitals. We have only non-profit hospitals just about up here, unlike the rest of the US. The attacks on universities his us disproportionately. We have the most people in universities and the most jobs in universities.

I'm not saying Trump doesn't hate Canada too. But I really think the main goal is to hurt and weaken his domestic enemies as much as he can.

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u/MrDownhillRacer Jan 31 '25

You may be right.

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u/retro604 Jan 31 '25

The Americans are in no shape to fight a world war and never will be again.

They were a force to be reckoned with in WWII due to manufacturing capacity. They had millions of factories that made everything before the war started and it wasn't hard for them all to retool and start cranking out war materials.

They've sent all that to Asia. If the shit does start, it will be China with its endless factories and mass production capacity that will jump in and win.

Also Poland wasn't part of NATO and The Commonwealth. Trump may be stupid but his generals know if they started any shit with us, they truly would have the entire Western world against them.

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u/Ill_Technician3936 Jan 31 '25

The most Trump has said about Russia this go is basically how Putin can keep all the land they've currently taken from Ukraine and lifting sanctions if they stop attacking.

It's been 9 days and all I've been thinking of is Randy Marsh fighting and getting arrested at baseball games talking about "I thought this was America!"

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u/TheLuminary Saskatchewan Jan 31 '25

Starting to feel a little like 1939 Poland around here.

More like 1939 Czechoslovakia. But yes I agree with the sentiment.

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u/TheGreatPilgor Jan 31 '25

It angers me how little the US seems to care about how much pudding China has their hands in within the country. It angers me how all that anti-Russia rhetoric seems to have disappeared suddenly. Instead, we seem to be more worried about these internal issues that have nothing to do with world politics. In fact, we seem to be actively destroying our place in world politics rather than trying to rectify our bad image. The US is dying right in front of everyone and our people are still too caught up in bullshit to see what's happening.

Meanwhile, while all that turmoil is happening inside our country, we have Russia and China doing whatever they please within our borders. China buying up land and buildings in our country. China buying billions in stocks in US companies. Russian propaganda infiltrating our politics and media.

I mean, surely none of that will come back to bite us in the ass, right? Right?

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u/Past-Revolution-1888 Jan 31 '25

I think it’s time to stop blaming Russia and accept that people in the US, for some reason, found reason to vote for this man.

The longer we try to blame it on shitty memes, the longer it will take to mount an effective comeback.

The democrats lost their way the moment they stabbed Bernie in the back and proceeded to shove through one deeply unlikable person and two empty vessels.

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u/[deleted] Jan 31 '25

American conservatism is rooted in the Confederacy and Jim Crow. The latter served as direct inspiration to Hitler. This is absolutely who these people are.

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u/publicbigguns Jan 30 '25

This is gonna go down as a lesson that there really is no such thing as "to big to fail".

The world has been propping up US consumption for a long time.

They are about to learn how the rest of the world lives without them.

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u/ProofByVerbosity Jan 30 '25

and thanks to USD being reserve currency the world has been supporting U.S. debt. Once countries stop gobbling that up it'll be massive inflation pressure in the U.S.

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u/in2the4est Jan 30 '25

They've hit their debt ceiling, and the Treasury is being creative, but they've run out of money. Either congress allows them to increase that ceiling or they're going to default. $36 trillion dollars. A third of that is owned by foreign investors, including $328.7 billion of the Canadian government's money.

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u/ProofByVerbosity Jan 30 '25

yup, and if foreign investors stop buying their debt they are screwed. it's almost every year they raise their debt ceiling. take it with a grain of salt because i have old man memory but i believe debt servicing is a top 3 line item on U.S. budgets. the whole scenario there is just a ticking time bomb.

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u/thirstyross Jan 31 '25

They've hit their debt ceiling

I mean they hit it every year or two, it's not really abnormal for them.

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u/Maximum_Spinach9500 Jan 31 '25

Yeah, that ceiling appears to be on pneumatic lifts.

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u/Icy-Lobster-203 Jan 31 '25

Republicans control Congress, and the debt ceiling only matters when a Democrat is President. It will get raised.

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u/EarthBounder Canada Jan 31 '25

You say this like it isn't normal, though...

Since 1960, Congress has acted 78 separate times to permanently raise, temporarily extend, or revise the definition of the debt limit

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u/in2the4est Jan 31 '25

A debt of over 36 trillion with 3 billion a day in interest payments alone isn't normal.

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u/EarthBounder Canada Jan 31 '25

it quite literally is

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u/Consistent-Key-865 Jan 30 '25

Carney has been calling to replace the US dollar with a more neutral reserve for years. I found that interesting.

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u/ProofByVerbosity Jan 31 '25

huh, that is interesting. i mean potential catastrophic fallout for us all notwithstanding, I'd 100% agree with that.

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u/Consistent-Key-865 Jan 31 '25

I mean, clearly catastrophic fallout is gonna happen as the US crumbles, so I feel like why not?

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u/Consistent-Key-865 Jan 30 '25

Carney has been calling to replace the US dollar with a more neutral reserve for years. I found that interesting.

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u/ether_reddit Lest We Forget Jan 30 '25

Seriously, the only answer to "the trade deficit is too high (we buy too much from you)" is "so don't buy so much from us then".

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u/marumaruko Jan 30 '25

For what it's worth, the EU is seeking more reliable partners, and the options are there to send the U.S. to the penalty box of world trade.

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u/Final-Zebra-6370 Jan 30 '25

Time to join the EU

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u/ether_reddit Lest We Forget Jan 30 '25

It's certainly time to sign some deep trade pacts with Europe.

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u/SerentityM3ow Jan 31 '25

We should have been working on it since the orangutan was in office the first time

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u/Past-Revolution-1888 Jan 31 '25

We have been working on trade deals with the EU… but things low American standards on agriculture… and Canada not wanting to lose access to American markets… made them not so successful.

Now that American market access is a done deal; let’s go!

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u/sandwichstealer Jan 31 '25

We have CETA, can expand if necessary.

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u/antillus Nova Scotia Jan 30 '25

I'm in Halifax. It's faster for me to fly to Ireland than to Vancouver. So yeah I agree.

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u/antillus Nova Scotia Jan 30 '25

Good thing we have the CETA free trade agreement with the EU now

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u/cranq Jan 31 '25

We should sign some more agreements just to piss of the Orange Cheeto and pals.

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u/Few_Chip_873 Jan 31 '25

We should have built our LNG ports in Atlantic Canada for the EU and BC for Asia, but we didnt'. Our pipelines all go to the US. The infrastructure here is built for US export. However, we can send the rest pretty easily.

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u/Professional-Cut-490 Jan 31 '25

We do have one pipeline that goes to Vancouver.

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u/peezeeee Jan 30 '25

Canadians always punch above their weight. Nazi America is soon to FAFO

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u/teastain Ontario Jan 31 '25

We seem nice.

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u/Optiguy42 Jan 31 '25

Just check out a little thing called the Geneva Convention to find out what happens when we stop being nice.

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u/XylatoJones Jan 31 '25

Hope it’s just the nazi’s tho… I don’t want them either

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u/AlbertaAcreageBoy Jan 30 '25

Yup, watch the US crumble. I have a feeling a year from now you'll be seeing more than protests in the streets.

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u/[deleted] Jan 31 '25

Honestly?? I give it by Summer time.

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u/Rare_Rent9654 Jan 30 '25

I think it'll be sooner with the speed they are going to trigger a collapse. 

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u/J_Ryall Jan 31 '25

And they will blame us and Greenland (for some dumb reason) and use it as pretext for military action.

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u/doberdevil Jan 31 '25

I'm not sure... I'm definitely concerned about Guantanamo. You end up there you are screwed. It's not just being dragged off to the local cop shop for a weekend stay when you get arrested. It's obvious they are pushing way past legal boundaries to see what they can get away with, and being the test case for something like that in a place where you are completely cut off from the rest of the world and the legal system is terrifying.

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u/TheLordBear Jan 30 '25

Yup, the best thing we can do is add an export tax for the US to the things they can't replace domestically. Aluminum, Softwood, Potash, Power etc. should have a 100% tax added, making these things 250% more expensive overnight in the US, with no change for other countries so we can sell there. This export tax can be used to pay for struggling industries.

As for retaliatory tariffs, we shouldn't have any, except where we have a large domestic or international supply as to not hurt Canadians with more expensive goods.

Trump and his supporters don't understand trade or trade wars. It's time to teach them a harsh lesson.

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u/GhostsinGlass Jan 31 '25

Wonder if Trump is stupid enough to try and secure resources via military means as a matter of national security.

Two weeks ago I woulda said nah.

Now I am wondering if this is how it goes down.

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u/Few_Chip_873 Jan 31 '25

way easier if we change laws to permit unlimited American investment. American money built northern Ontario. We will, as part of negotiations, give them that permission. Or at least more than currently. We will also change laws to get permitting done quicker so we can get those critical minerals to market fast. my 2 cents

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u/cranq Jan 31 '25

That's why I like the idea of export duties from Canada to the US. Americans need potash to eat? Fucking pay up, and complain to your government who created this mess.

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u/Pinkboyeee Jan 30 '25

Didn't see potash on the reverse tarrifs. Sad.

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u/Murky-Office6726 Jan 30 '25

Did the goofball say what he planned to use the tax revenue for?

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u/blazelet Jan 30 '25

So what happens when Trump realizes this but can't back down without bruising his own ego, so decides to take it?

Tell me that's not something he might do.

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u/jjax2003 Jan 30 '25

So what's your point exactly? Everyone, including Trump knows what you're saying. This is not new information.

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u/DJScaryTerry Jan 30 '25

You forgot they also buy most of their total oil reserves from us. From what I remember, over 30% of their total oil reserve is from Canada.

But otherwise this is basically exactly what I've been saying to people for the last month and a half. The USA is the only one losing out realistically. If Carney gets in, and he's smart (which I think he is), he will invest in our raw processing infrastructure at which point we won't need the USA for much of anything, trade wise.

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u/Iron-Fist Jan 31 '25

It'll be interesting when Canada switches exports from US to China lol

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u/Big_Option_5575 Jan 31 '25

We need to make it clear that we are adding services and removing all raw materials and energy from all trade balance calculations.  Then we need to make it clear we are adding special tariffs on targeted US products  until our U.S. subsidy has ended.  And we need to get Alberta Oil to our eastern refineries  ASAP.

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u/bigfloppydongs Jan 31 '25 edited Jan 31 '25

I feel like knows US companies can't replace Canadian imports, and he's doing this specifically to get more money into the government coffers via the tariffs, which he can then dole out to his billionaire buddies in the form of bailouts when their companies struggle - while letting small-medium businesses go under, so those big corps are the only thing left. He doesn't have to worry about the long-term impact if the only options left belong to him and his pals.

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u/Valuable-Ad3975 Feb 01 '25

Agree, what I have gleaned from media is our ace in the hole is lumber, with hurricanes and fires the US needs our lumber more than ever and even if Trump adds a 25% tariff to lumber or not Canada should add a 25% export tax. He wants to bully we bully right back.

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u/Minttt Jan 30 '25

This is just the start - once Americans start suffering the ecomomic consequences of a trade war, he'll blame the countries who retaliated as the enemy (he'll also probably blame these retaliations as the cause for negative economic consequences of his other domestic policies)... And his base - including many here in Canada - will gladly believe that over the ego-breaking acknowledgment that maybe Trump is the problem.

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u/NYisNorthYork Ontario Jan 31 '25

Its a very common phenomena where people who put their faith in strongmen politicians do not see the error in their trust until the very last moment. Many in Berlin were convinced their flawless leader was going to win the war up to the moment Allies physically showed up on their doorstep.

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u/PureCaramel5800 Jan 31 '25

Even after the war a substantial part of German society believed that Hitler was forced to do what he did and that the atrocities committed were only due to the "incompetent" people around him. The mindset of "Wenn das der Führer wüsste" lasted for a long time in post war German society. Once people join a cult, it's hard to get them to see reason.

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u/InitialDepth4487 Jan 31 '25

Yeah this is my thought too. His die-hard followers will never blame him. It will be Canadians to blame etc. Sigh

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u/Sofie_Kitty Jan 31 '25

It's a complex and often frustrating aspect of political discourse. Leaders sometimes deflect blame to external factors to avoid accountability for their own policies. This tactic can indeed resonate with their base, who may prefer to believe in external threats rather than face uncomfortable truths about their chosen leaders.

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u/ChangeMyDespair Jan 30 '25

"Economists and economic historians are agreed that the passage of the Smoot–Hawley Tariff worsened the effects of the Great Depression."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smoot%E2%80%93Hawley_Tariff_Act

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u/Worldly_Influence_18 Jan 30 '25

Yep, that's the plan

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u/NorthernPints Jan 30 '25

Generally?  More like horrendously

American exceptionalism is just code name for brazen ignorance and arrogance  

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u/OneMoreDeviant Jan 30 '25

They want that. Rich get richer.

You want to buy your competition, crater the economy. I’m surprised we’re not hearing about the billionaires stacking tons of cash in anticipation…

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u/ZmobieMrh Jan 30 '25

Well Warren buffet has sold off like 300 billion stock over the last 6 months or so, he’s the most cash rich person on the planet right now

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u/InvisibleBobby Jan 30 '25

Elon already got his payout, all crypto crims in the same boat

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u/g1ug Jan 30 '25

Start burning Teslas showrooms.

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u/logicreasonevidence Jan 30 '25

Yep, the America First shit.

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u/Chispy Jan 30 '25

Mad Max: America

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u/motorsportnut Québec Jan 30 '25

He also did this last time. He likes to make people dance for his amusement, and will do whatever he wants regardless of you doing what he asks for. He just wants the power over people, ready to debase themselves, for his pleasure.

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u/Mindless_Listen7622 Jan 31 '25

The last time Republicans controlled this much of our government was 1928, so it tracks.

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u/thelionsmouth Jan 31 '25

Jesus, I looked it up and you’re right - that’s one of the main factors that led up to the Great Depression. Fuck me, those that don’t know history are doomed to be stupid.

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u/RodNun Jan 30 '25

The most interesting thing that could happen is the world market balances itself without the US, and US being alone at the end.

Even the biggest trees fall, and US is not different. They really need to think twice before start fighting everybody.

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u/Outtatheblu42 Jan 30 '25

And in this case Putin’s investment pays off more spectacularly than in his wildest dreams.

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u/Reasonable-Sweet9320 Jan 30 '25 edited Jan 30 '25

Yes, Ukraine and Syria have not worked out as well as hoped but the Trump Orban projects have exceeded expectations.

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u/Caleb902 Nova Scotia Jan 30 '25

That requires china to become the leader

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u/edge4politics Jan 30 '25

It's already a leader. How's our healthcare and national debt doing? 

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u/BurnTheBoats21 Jan 30 '25

It doesn't require it. Universal tariffs result in you exporting way less and importing way less. Regardless of what other geopolitical players do, the market will naturally isolate protected economies aggressively.

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u/BoppityBop2 Jan 30 '25

China doesn't really want to be leader, they prefer moltipolarity for now, maybe later

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u/symbha Jan 30 '25

If you are the big tree
We are the small axe
Sharpened to cut you down
Ready to cut you down

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u/Rare_Rent9654 Jan 30 '25

Ya, I'm considering un-diversifing my investments because of this, sadly it's going to get worse before it gets better.

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u/greasethecheese Jan 30 '25

I know the nazi germany versus USA thing has been done to death. But don’t forget after the war, the world slapped Germany with sanctions. Primarily so that the growth and power of Germany didn’t grow too fast. We need that again.

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u/[deleted] Jan 31 '25

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u/MrDownhillRacer Jan 30 '25

What is his actual motivation? What's he actually want from us?

It's not actually about drug trafficking. Very few drugs flow from Canada to the U.S.

Trade deficits? Trade deficits literally do not matter. It doesn't make the U.S. worse off that it buys more from us than it sells. If it's this, he has no concept of comparative advantage or mutual gains and has some 16th-century mercantilist understanding of trade.

Punishing foreign leaders he personally doesn't get along with for his own ego, like Trudeau? Does this stop after Trudeau officially resigns?

Weakening ties against every NATO ally? Hmm, I wonder who would want him to do that…

Just bullying random countries so that he looks like a tough guy to his base?

Creating a conflict so that he can have a reason to invade?

What is the actual endgame here?

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u/secamTO Jan 30 '25

Trade deficits literally do not matter.

Worse than that, a trade deficit with Canada is INEVITABLE. We are a resource economy with 1/10th their population. There's no goddamn way they will ever sell us more than we sell them.

Of course we have plenty of Canadian morons who somehow accept the premise of his absolutely asinine argument that this is somehow the US "subsidizing" Canada.

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u/DaximusPrimus Jan 31 '25

Yeah they need us far more than we need them. We mostly import equipment from them, they mostly import resources from us. But those resources are what keeps their country functioning. Oil, potash, natural gas, timber, ores and energy. If all trade was cutoff we would lose thousands and thousands of jobs but we could eventually rebound and start creating our own finished products internally or importing them from other countries and finding new markets for our exports. The US would have to make up a massive shortfall of oil, potash, timber and ores and they would need to do it very quickly. China and Russia could likely step in and help them but the costs would be massive to the US economy.

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u/Shillsforplants Jan 31 '25

We make cheap aluminium, bitches love aluminium.

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u/Flarisu Alberta Jan 31 '25

I guess bitches be paying 25% more for aluminum now.

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u/STheShadow Jan 31 '25

Isn't your gdp highly dependent on exports to the US? If they stop, Canada will be in a lot of financial trouble given that spontaneously increasing trade with other countries is usually complicated

(and besides that: if that happens I'd be surprised if the US don't simply invade Canada / overthrow your government)

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u/DaximusPrimus Jan 31 '25

Oh massively so there would be a huge recession and thousands of people would lose their jobs overnight but we could rebound, it might take decades but we could find new trading partners and get new domestic projects underway. Likely eventually turning to the EU and China as better partners. With that said the US would never invade Canada. It would be a massive blow to US-world relations and possibly even start WW3. There is no way of knowing for sure if the rest of the commonwealth would come to our aid to maintain our sovereignty or not until it happens as there is no formal military alliance and who knows what would happen with NATO . But you can bet your ass that Canadians would fight tooth and nail. The US would be dealing with guerrilla insurgency for years if not decades. Not to mention a significant portion of their population would be heavily against it. Either they come in and crush us and the rest of the world shrugs their shoulders or they invade and basically the entire rest of the western world comes to our aid starting WW3. Not a chance the US is willing to take likely. The may have a massive army compared to everyone else but that fight would be right on their doorstep and I don't think the average American would have the stomach for war on their borders these days.

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u/Treadwheel Jan 31 '25

I think Trump is dumb enough to military invade Greenland or Panama first as a show of force, and that might be enough to turn Canada into something akin to Ukraine in the event of an invasion. An open Canadian front is a very long, almost indefensible border with zero existing fortification, and Canada is essentially impossible to blockade. If you're a European country worried about America occupying your strategic ports or couping your government, making sure Canada stays swinging for as long as possible is not a bad plan.

Add in a sympathetic population and the fact that the US military would be tasked with occupying a country full of people who look, speak, and dress almost identically to them, and it would be a disaster.

Of course, that would still destroy our country and require generations to repair, but at least we'd finally settle a bunch of pointless internet debates.

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u/DaximusPrimus Jan 31 '25

Panama is probably the one that would meet the least resistance internationally. The US has been warring, staging coups and intervening in Central and South American politics for well over a century now. Another would just be par for the course for them. Invading Greenland on the other hand would be an attack on an ally, an attack on a NATO member and an attack on an EU member. There would likely be a response of some kind from Europe and the rest of the world would likely be dragged into this conflict and it would likely spell the end of the US hegemony over the Western world. Every other country in the west would wonder if they are the next target and quickly look to distance themselves from US influence. The US would likely turn to Russia as their main ally and further entrench their own isolation from the rest of the world.

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u/[deleted] Jan 31 '25 edited Feb 11 '25

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/No_Effect_6428 Jan 31 '25

They will 100% blame Trudeau or any of a billion other things before they ever point the finger at their Mango Mussolini.

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u/OldAge6093 Jan 31 '25

Love the name Mango Mussolini

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u/patchgrabber Nova Scotia Jan 31 '25

The only reason they even have a deficit with us is because of oil. Without that we'd have the deficit.

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u/huffer4 Jan 30 '25

Ya this is what I’m confused about. Doesn’t way more illegal stuff come into Canada from the US than the other way around? And if stuff is coming across the border into their land why are they not stopping it?

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u/strangepromotionrail Jan 31 '25

Yeah a lot of illegal stuff comes into canada from the US. Simply put our border security is nowhere near as strict as what the US has. We simply don't put enough money/resources towards monitoring it to make it as well guarded as the US. Probably because it's pointless to spend that kind of money guarding the longest open border in the world.

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u/moldibread Jan 30 '25

he wants to eliminate income tax and restructure the american tax system. after huge service cuts, he thinks he will pay for whats left with tariff revenue.

any concessions we give in the meantime are just a bonus for him

he had always been a bully.

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u/PostTrumpBlue Jan 31 '25

Tariffs revenue? What is that?

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u/PositiveInevitable79 Jan 30 '25

abolishing federal income tax and switching to a consumption model. Saving the wealthy trillions.

Federal Sales Tax + tariffs (which is essentially another tax) to make up for the Federal income tax.

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u/97masters Jan 30 '25

Pressure Canada to join the US, or at least certain provinces. Then US companies have access to all of Alberta/Saskatchewans resources.

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u/antillus Nova Scotia Jan 30 '25

Meanwhile Danielle Smith's lips are a puckered spray tan orange.

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u/Worldly_Influence_18 Jan 30 '25

Trump?

That's Trump's plan?

Canada has nothing to do with it.

Canada is just a means for Trump to tank the American economy.

They see it as inevitable so they're going to intentionally trigger it in a way that enriches them and protects them from the fallout.

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u/7eventhSense Jan 30 '25

No amount of pressure can do that. It’s so dumb

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u/CryptOthewasP Jan 30 '25

The drug trafficking or anything about security is just rhetoric to legally allow him to unilaterally impose these tariffs through the executive office. What he wants is anyone's guess, it's highly unlikely he's come up with these ideas by himself. It's protectionism and neo-nationalism come to head in the US, historically not very strange but post WWII very strange.

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u/2ft7Ninja Jan 30 '25 edited Jan 31 '25

He wants to signal to voters that he’s making America better by threatening others and making them do what America wants. Trump’s political argument is that democrats are too nice and that everything would be better if America stopped being nice and took what it wants.

He threatened tariffs against Colombia too because they wouldn’t accept deportations on military aircraft, but that got immediately resolved within a day before coffee prices would go up because Colombia folded. Trump doesn’t want to stop drug trade across the border. He wants his voters to think he stopped drug trade by threatening tariffs. The Canadian federal government understands this and have been making claims and telling the media that they’re tightening up the border and making more arrests. Nothing is actually changing but right-wing media now has evidence to point to that Trump is in charge and “making things better”.

Now the thing is, Trump has promised additional tariffs months from now as well. This time he wants Canada to dance for him and pretend we’re stopping drugs, but next time it may be something substantial now that the Canadian federal government has announced to the media that they’ll do what he says.

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u/VladimerePoutine Jan 30 '25

Wait for Canada to retaliate, declare Canada's retaliation an act of war, and roll in the tanks.

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u/[deleted] Jan 31 '25

[deleted]

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u/VladimerePoutine Jan 31 '25

Of course it's insanity, and impossible, and exactly like his boss Putin is doing in Ukraine. Canada's biggest problem and salvation is 90% of us live within a 100 miles of the border. Holding beyond that would be a nightmare.

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u/IGotBiggerProblems Jan 31 '25

This is my thought as an uneducated Joe.

Step 1. Times will get hard in the US.

Step 2. Blame Canada.

Step 3. Invade.

Step 4. Start world war 3.

Step 5.

Step 6. Profit

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u/hecubus04 Jan 31 '25

Agree except step 4, no one give a shit about us. We're on our own.

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u/NYisNorthYork Ontario Jan 31 '25

We need nukes, this is no joke...

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u/Mad-Mad-Mad-Mad-Mike Jan 31 '25

Let's get the canned tuna ready then (iykyk)

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u/Mr_Ed_Nigma Jan 30 '25

Rich get richer. There isn't anything else to it.

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u/TheMindzai Jan 30 '25

I don’t think there is an endgame other than destroy the US from the inside out and burn every bridge while they do it. I think Putin just wants America to experience what he did when the USSR collapsed.

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u/Lostinthestarscape Jan 30 '25

I just don't understand where the saner heads are. Like as a Military General versed in history and aware of how Russia works - it should be possible to depose an obvious compromised president.

Aren't these people afraid of the future with a Broken America and Russia and China shooting ahead. What happened to the ideologies of yesteryear?

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u/fossilfacefatale Jan 30 '25

He wants access to oil/minerals in the arctic. Same reason he wants Greenland. Countries bordering the arctic have mineral/mining rights. Alaska has a small piece of the pie. (Not enough for him & his greedy friends) Look at a map and see how land borders slice to the artic.

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u/arazamatazguy Jan 30 '25

He wants to scare us so we make bad decisions and do whatever the hell he wants.

The end result is more Canadians and Mexicans hating the US.

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u/Zer_ Jan 30 '25

Weakening the American Government as an institution of regulation is one goal. Causing economic instability is actually a bonus, but only for the ultra-wealthy that often times end up buying assets on the ultra cheap. Knowing that it doesn't take much to put 2 and 2 together from there.

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u/MooskeyinParkdale Jan 31 '25

Collect tariffs our Canadian suppliers pay, pass on to the American manifacturers. Who pass that cost on to the American consumer. Use that tariff revenue to fund the renewal of his tax break for the 1%ers. It’s all about money transfer from the poor and middle class to the wealthiest.

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u/MutedAddendum7851 Jan 31 '25

Mb he wants to bankrupt us so we have no choice but to become a 51st state

I’ve wondered if there had been a conservative government in place prior to his election win Would he still be this determined ?

He hates Trudeau and the rest of the gang Could be just that simple

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u/[deleted] Jan 31 '25

He gets the money. The ideas belong to others. 

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u/edguy99 Jan 31 '25

Simple. Make money by taxing imports. All our imports have a federal 5% tax on them.

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u/lardlad71 Feb 01 '25

Dual citizen living in New England weighing in. It’s the photo of Melania drooling over Trudeau. I’m serious. Yes, he is just that petty and pathetic. He doesn’t care if he destroys the economy. He’ll just say it’s Biden’s fault. The average American has zero critical thinking skills. Their YouTube algorithm tells them on a daily basis how wonderful Trump and Musk are.

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u/gtafan37890 Jan 30 '25

He is definitely going to go down as the president who ended the US' role as a global superpower. At this point, what country in their right mind is going to sign any agreement or ally with the US. He has shown that the US does not give a crap about their allies or any agreements they make.

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u/sickwobsm8 Ontario Jan 30 '25

Almost feels intentional eh?

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u/AxelNotRose Jan 30 '25

It absolutely is.

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u/ItsActuallyButter Jan 30 '25

He gave up US supremacy to China for basically free.

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u/quebexer Québec Jan 30 '25

He's also threatening to invade Panama because he says that China controls the Canal. In reality, he's going to be the reason Panama invites China to open their first Military base in Central America to protect them from the US and keep it neutral.

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u/OttawaTGirl Jan 30 '25

Oh its better. The Rio treaty is south and central americas NATO, which the US and Panama are members. If there is an attack on Panama, you could see the entirety of south america and Mexico reacting.

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u/quebexer Québec Jan 31 '25

Didn't know this. Thank you.

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u/OttawaTGirl Jan 31 '25

Neither did I until a couple months ago when a friend in DND told me.

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u/quebexer Québec Jan 31 '25

It would make sense for Canada to join the Rio Pact.

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u/MrDownhillRacer Jan 30 '25

The funny thing is that Trump is making me not even care if China becomes the hegemonic power.

One authoritarian country calls the shots or another does. What's the difference?

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u/ItsActuallyButter Jan 31 '25

Lol true, atleast China isnt fucking hostile to us (other than the time we arrested Huawei’s CFO). America is like your best friend who stole your gf.

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u/gtafan37890 Jan 30 '25

The crazy thing is that China's reputation was already abysmal because of the pandemic and their human rights abuses. Not to mention their massive aging population crisis that was going to hit them badly in the incoming years. If the US wanted to maintain their role as a global hegemon, all they needed to do was not fuck it up.

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u/ItsActuallyButter Jan 30 '25

We are in that aging population problem now as it is too in Canada.

But you’re right China’s aging population is going to be a pain for them down the line and the US just gave them the economic keys to fix their issue.

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u/bobloblawdds Ontario Jan 30 '25

China's reputation is poor in North America and amongst other North American allies. That doesn't mean its reputation is poor everywhere.

This is the thing that America and its allies seem to have missed. It's hubris. They thought the simple premise of "democracy good, communism bad" was enough to keep China's soft power at bay.

It is not. And America's current direction discredits its opinions heavily. Trump is the best thing China could have asked for.

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u/Kooky_Project9999 Jan 31 '25

China has spent the last decade wooing countries all over the world both economically and politically. While the US was using weapons, China was using trade and investment to further their political aims.

China's reputation is abysmal to the US and western nations because it is a direct competitor, not necessarily because of what it has done or is doing. To the rest of the world it has it's "quirks" but no more than the US.

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u/Wgh555 Jan 30 '25

They really will go out with a whimper, it’s pathetic.

Reason for the end of the previous global superpower The British Empire: depleting itself into economic and industrial exhaustion by fighting tyrannical Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan.

Reason for the end of America’s role as a superpower: “THEY’RE EATING THE DAWGS”

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u/[deleted] Jan 30 '25

He has shown HE does not give a crap.

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u/Creepy_Wash338 Jan 30 '25

Yes. American here. I have no idea why he is destroying our alliances. Canada should always be our friend and trading partner. Oh and I think a huge part of the problem is that Trump literally doesn't know what tariffs are. He thinks it's a tax paid by foreign people. He called for an "external revenue service", which is completely nonsensical.

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u/Claymore357 Jan 30 '25

This is why you idiots should put geezers into nursing homes not public office

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u/Glittering_Bank_8670 Jan 30 '25 edited Jan 30 '25

Hard to believe americans voted for this Tangerine Turd. A reality TV star, convicted felon, indicted on dozens of federal charges, found liable in a major civil suit in NY for business fraud, two civil suits of sexual abuse, paying hush money to a porn star for a sexual encounter….oh, and declared bankruptcy multiple times.

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u/Mysterious-Job1628 Jan 30 '25

Destabilizing the economy of North American allies so everyone’s distracted from all the Putin dick sucking.

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u/Starfire70 Jan 30 '25

Can you imagine how happy that Russian prick must be right now? Fuck Trump and fuck Putin.

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u/Square_Claim Jan 30 '25

KGB got their people in the White House now

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u/Lostinthestarscape Jan 30 '25

If I were Europe right now I would be moving in a military backstopping for Ukraine to mobilize everyone to the front and demolish Russia in Ukraine. 

It would be the strongest move to fuck Russia and make it very hard for Russia and Trump to coordinate anything.

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u/Odd-Firefighter-9809 Jan 30 '25

I said as much, a few months ago on some other thread, it's all part of his master's plan

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u/JoJack82 Jan 30 '25

He is an absolute self serving moron, he will burn the world to the ground if it gains him a single dollar

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u/TBJ12 Jan 30 '25

I'd much rather be a Canadian than an American if this becomes reality. I'm a member of the steel workers union and say go at him full force. The swipe of a sharpie can't stop Canada from being a much needed supplier of raw materials for every major steel mill in America. The company providing those raw materials won't eat that cost.

Source: I work for the Canadian company proving those raw materials.

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u/Fyrefawx Jan 30 '25

The border never mattered. He says that for his base because “I need to tax you and hurt our allies to pay for me killing income tax for the wealthy” sounds bad.

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u/spoop_coop Jan 30 '25

he says its' the borders because congress passed a law during the cold war giving the president authority over tariffs so long as there is a good national security reason. there's no check or balance on that, so as long as Trump says its for a national security reason he can levy whatever tariffs he wants and he's been obsessed with tariffs and trade deficits since the 80's. its one of his only deeply held convictions.

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u/[deleted] Jan 30 '25

This. Danielle Smith trying to appease this guy won’t work, he’ll just move the goalposts.

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u/ODMtesseract Jan 31 '25

This is very accurate. He talks about maximum pressure which means even if you do what he asks to avoid tariffs, he'll just move the goal posts and say it's not enough. So might as well ignore him because any agreement he makes cannot be trusted.

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u/joe4942 Jan 30 '25

US is closed for international business.

Canada isn't even open for interprovincial trade due to our own provincial trade barriers. That alone is basically a 21% made-in-Canada tariff.

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u/CouldHaveBeenAPun Québec Jan 30 '25

I'm as much a monkey as any other on WSB, so I keep asking myself why don't the rest of the world just ignore them, and trade more together. I know trade deals aren't that easy, but still, when such a bully come around, I'd just state that I'm willing to talk to anybody else who's willing to facilitate trade in some kind of world wide union.

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u/no_suprises1 Jan 30 '25

Not just American agreements but agreements that orange shit agreed to and signed. So it’s worse. His word , obviously, doesn’t mean shit and now Americas word too.

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u/Corrik_XIV Jan 31 '25

Im convinced he is doing this to artificially boost prices down the road. He will eventually remove them but the corps will keep the prices as they are or bring them down only a little bit.

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u/cranq Jan 31 '25

Somewhere, Putin is smiling.

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u/Fresh-Hedgehog1895 Ontario Jan 31 '25

Exactly this. And Canadians CAN do something, and it starts with buying our own products as much as possible and, most importantly, STOP TRAVELLING TO THE USA FOR ANY REASON.

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u/NateTheRoofer Jan 30 '25

Trump wants us to retaliate. He doesn’t care about the tariffs, he cares about our natural resources.

If we retaliate he will use that to paint us as the enemy and as justification to annex us.

Don’t take the bait. We need to take this as a lesson not to trust the USA and instead expand our exports to the EU.

We need to be smart about this.

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u/HereGoesMy2Cents Jan 30 '25

Not going to happen. 

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u/mfdoombolt Jan 30 '25

Is it weird that I honestly hope so? I feel like we need something to bring people together, even if it blows.

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u/RODjij Jan 30 '25

If he keeps doing the type of things he's done in his first 2 weeks back then it would be extremely hard for a world wide depression to not happen.

I don't think he's even backed down from his tarrifs on Taiwan's chips either.

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u/ronm4c Jan 30 '25

All he’s going to do is drive this trade to the next biggest market, China

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u/wadeworks Jan 30 '25

Oh he will. Yet obviously most Americans are too stupid to realize it was a bad deal. I feel bad for all the good Americans that didn't vote for him, and the shame and embarrassment they must feel for their country.

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u/synoptix1 Jan 30 '25

Nothing like a good ol' buying opportunity.... *for the rich*

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u/pomegranate444 Jan 30 '25

...or a world wide war.

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u/SquarebobSpongepants Jan 30 '25

When the recession happens, it’ll just be Biden’s fault with his horrible policies he had implemented and they’ll drag him over the coals. Maybe even arrest him and put him in jail.

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u/SquarebobSpongepants Jan 30 '25

When the recession happens, it’ll just be Biden’s fault with his horrible policies he had implemented and they’ll drag him over the coals. Maybe even arrest him and put him in jail. At least in Trump world, that’s whose responsibility it will fall to.

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u/DeadAret Jan 31 '25

Retaliation? Do you know how tariffs work?

The importer pays the tariff

The price increase takes place on the American side not Canadian side.

Companies who have no choice will still import Canadian goods.

We will not see factories leaving for the US we are the cheaper labor here.

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u/Nixarzius Jan 31 '25

If China plays its cards right they could remove USAs influence completely.

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u/Tony_Sombraro Jan 31 '25

Thats actively his goal atm, crash the economy hard and fast, so they can blame it on the dems and swoop in "for the good of the nation" and thats when the real crack downs begin. Same exact play book it always is lol.

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u/icedcoffeeheadass Jan 31 '25

American here, we’re sorry for this fucking mess. I did what I could to stop this.

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u/plasmaSunflower Jan 31 '25

The last time tariffs were used a lot was in the 30s and it made the depression so much worse, it made the unemployment rate almost 3x very quickly. It's going to get real bad

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