So close, and yet so far. Only last week, Canada and the US were finally on the cusp of reaching a long awaited trade deal. Already Trump had announced the joyous news on Truth Social, already Canadian prime minister Mark Carney had celebrated securing the “best terms” for Canada and called for provinces to lift the ban on US alcohol.
Then, somehow, defeat was snatched from the jaws of victory. Late last Friday, Carney told Canadian negotiators to walk away, saying Washington was offering “a bad deal.” Trump promptly reimposed the 50 percent tariffs on goods imported from Canada that had been put on hold pending the signing of the deal. On Tuesday, August 25, Carney announced dollar-for-dollar retaliation, in what some are calling “the dumbest trade war in history.”
Carney has cynically stoked fear of America and fear of Trump
In the meantime, jaws were dropping all across Canada. Manufacturers and business leaders wondered what outrage could have occured in the closed-door negotiations that could possibly justify shutting down negotiations with Canada’s closest neighbour and number one customer. But details were hard to get. Carney resorted to emotional language to justify his decision, saying Canada had been “attacked” and saying the country was “at war.”
You have to ask: did Carney ever want a deal? He should want a deal. He was elected because Canadians thought he could negotiate an advantageous trade agreement with the US. Instead, he’s done everything but. And over a year later, he’s beginning to run out of excuses.
Four relatively small points of contention have emerged, none of which seem like reasons to end talks. For one thing, Canada was insisting on lower tariffs on heavy trucks – surely a negotiable point – and American officials refused, some say because of the use of Chinese parts in the vehicles, which has long been a sore point for the US.
Carney claimed the US wanted to include terms in the deal that would put limits on the trade deals Canada was able to seek with other countries. Was one of those countries perhaps China? In any case, USMCA already includes explicit limitations on trade deals Canada is able to seek with other countries. “Sovereignty!” is Carney’s cry – but has he already sold that sovereignty out to Xi for a few thousand EVs and a mess of pottage?
Another of Carney’s excuses, as he told a crowd of Quebecers on Monday in a blatant attempt to curry favor with francophones, was that American negotiators saw French language requirements as an “irritant.” This was a mischaracterization of discussions, according to US officials, and an outright lie, according to President Trump.
“I would never interfere with Canadians speaking French!” announced Trump on social media. “In fact, I have never even thought of doing such a stupid thing. This lie was made up by a weak and ineffective Prime Minister in an attempt to gain political support, which he has totally lost, from the people of Quebec. I love French Canadians!”
That last bit is exactly the right tone. “I love French Canadians!” is just what Quebecers want to hear. If Trump wants to get a deal with Canada – and he does need to get a deal through, especially with midterm elections coming up – perhaps, instead of letting Carney control the narrative, it’s time to launch a charm offensive.
Carney has cynically stoked fear of America and fear of Trump, and used them as a means of obtaining and keeping power. He believes that the more Canadians are afraid of Trump, the less they will question Carney’s own decisions. We’re talking about the high priest of “Project Fear” (the attempt to scare the British into voting to remain in the EU with predictions of economic armageddon), after all.
Many Canadians were unhappy last year, when an ill-timed tweet from Trump practically propelled Mark Carney into the prime minister’s seat. Jokes about the 51st state left others embarrassed and upset, especially as their leadership didn’t possess the lightness of touch required to respond in kind. You’d think that most people would simply laugh at the idea of rechristening Lake Ontario as Lake America – but in the current climate, that’s just one more proof that Trump doesn’t respect Canada and is out to damage the country in any way he can.
But that’s far from the truth. Trump wants fair treatment for the US, but he also wants Canada to free itself from the toils of China. That can’t happen in a weak and demoralized country. The Trump administration would serve its own interests if, following on the heels of Trump’s post about loving French Canadians, it began publicly differentiating between the Davos darling who holds the reins and the many common-sense Canadians who see the urgent necessity for a trade deal. Where external pressures have failed, domestic pressures may yet prevail.
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