Canada can’t afford to wait on Trump’s next move
Ontario Premier Doug Ford, left, pictured in Ottawa with Prime Minister Mark Carney. The two spoke about ‘how our governments are working together to build the most competitive economy in the G7. Together, we’ll never stop working to protect Canada,’ Ford wrote on social media. / TWITTER PHOTO
Prime Minister Mark Carney is right to remind Canadians that our country enjoys what is, by all measures, the best trade deal with the United States anywhere in the world. Carney said the U.S. administration confirmed two weeks ago that 85 per cent of Canadian exports are tariff-free under the Canada-U.S.-Mexico (CUSMA) trade deal, and Ottawa is matching those carve-outs for American imports that comply with CUSMA as of Sept. 1. However, Canada’s retaliatory tariffs on aluminum, steel and autos will stay in place.
“Canada and the U.S. have now re-established free trade for the vast majority of our goods,” Carney said as he justified what critics see as another concession to U.S. President Donald Trump.
Indeed, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said the announcement shows “yet another capitulation and climb down” by Carney. “His elbows have mysteriously gone missing, and this call follows on other concessions he promised during the campaign,” he said. “Mr. Carney's capitulations would be laughable if they weren't so tragic. They will harm our farmers, our workers, our people, more importantly, from his point of view, they are a broken promise. They are exactly the opposite of what Mr. Carney, ran on.”
For his part, Ontario Premier Doug Ford said he spoke with Carney after his press conference and emphasized the need “to hit back hard against U.S. tariffs and provide additional supports for the workers and businesses in these sectors,” if an agreement cannot be reached. “The federal government also needs to move fast to ensure Ontario steel is helping to build the future of Canada. Everything we make in Canada from ships, military equipment, pipelines to every piece of infrastructure should be made using Ontario and Canadian steel. Let’s get moving,” he said.
Let’s be clear: this is no time for complacency.
The federal government cannot pat itself on the back while vital industries — aluminum, steel, forestry, autos — remain in Washington’s crosshairs. These sectors are not abstract statistics; they are the backbone of communities across the country. They employ hundreds of thousands, anchor regional economies and fuel Canada’s manufacturing and export base. To leave them exposed to the shifting winds of Trump’s tariff whims is a threat to our economic future.
Carney was asked whether the decision represented the acceptance of the best of a bad deal. He replied: “I reject the presence of that question or your characterization of what I'm saying we have the best deal with the United States right now [...] We're in a position where we have held out, not signed a deal that we don't think is in the best interest of Canadians, and focused on, and we will remain focused on those strategic sectors to the best interests of Canada.”
Perhaps so. But it is also fragile. Trump has made it abundantly clear that tariffs are not a negotiating tool to be shelved once concessions are extracted — they are the centerpiece of his economic agenda.
Speaking in the Oval Office shortly after Carney’s announcement, Trump said the removal of the tariffs was “nice” and that he’s fighting for the U.S. He said the tariff campaign is meant to bring industry back to the U.S. and “it’s impossible for another country to stop it,” he said.
In such an environment, uncertainty becomes the real tariff: it drives up costs, stalls investment decisions and leaves businesses unsure whether to expand, hire or even survive.
That uncertainty ripples through the entire economy. If steel prices spike overnight because of punitive U.S. duties, infrastructure projects stall. If forestry exports are hit, sawmills shutter and housing costs rise. If automakers face new tariffs, supply chains fracture and tens of thousands of jobs hang in the balance. For small and medium-sized enterprises — the backbone of Canadian employment — this unpredictability is devastating.
Carney is correct that Canada must move “from reliance to resilience.” But resilience cannot be built on promises alone. It requires concrete investment in domestic industries, real diversification abroad, and a sober recognition that U.S. trade policy under Trump is no longer anchored in predictability or partnership.
The United States may always be our largest trading partner, but Canada cannot allow itself to remain hostage to its volatility. Protecting our industries today and building new markets for tomorrow is not just economic strategy — it is the surest path to long-term prosperity.
