CAN-USA Tariff Strife (split from various pol threads)

[The Bread Guy]

Latest (alleged) "issue": forced labour products.

What we know about Trump’s forced labour claims against Canada - National | Globalnews.ca

Canada is facing the prospect of entirely new tariffs from U.S. President Donald Trump's administration as the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement, is up for renewal.

globalnews.ca

Wonder if they mean, like, auto parts (and maybe other goodies) allegedly made in U.S. prisons?

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – IHRP Submits Evidence of US Prison Labour in Canadian Supply Chains to CBSA | International Human Rights Program

ihrp.law.utoronto.ca

More in a 2025 report here.

 

[Altair]

Latest (alleged) "issue": forced labour products.

What we know about Trump’s forced labour claims against Canada - National | Globalnews.ca

Canada is facing the prospect of entirely new tariffs from U.S. President Donald Trump's administration as the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement, is up for renewal.

globalnews.ca

Wonder if they mean, like, auto parts (and maybe other goodies) allegedly made in U.S. prisons?

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – IHRP Submits Evidence of US Prison Labour in Canadian Supply Chains to CBSA | International Human Rights Program

ihrp.law.utoronto.ca

More in a 2025 report here.

It's just another BS tariff for a BS reason.

The fact it wont touch CUSMA trade compliant goods is the tell.

If it was a actual problem they would apply it to cusma compliant goods.

 

[Czech_pivo]

Read a report that the Gordie Howe Bridge in Windsor/Detroit is set to open on Friday?

 

[dapaterson]

Read a report that the Gordie Howe Bridge in Windsor/Detroit is set to open on Friday?

Gordie Howe bridge nears opening: Ribbon-cutting ceremony reportedly planned for Friday

A major milestone for the Gordie Howe International Bridge could come this week.

www.ctvnews.ca

 

[Altair]

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/trump-cusma-usmca-trade-renew-9.7230164

"USMCA did one thing that I loved. After six years, it comes up for renewal. I don't know that I'm going to renew it," he said Wednesday, and went on to repeat his long-held complaints that the U.S. doesn't need anything from Canada or Mexico.

"It was a great deal for one reason. It gave the right to terminate," he said. "It was very important that we be able to do that. So we're talking to them. We'll see if we do something."

Either he doesn't know or doesn't care that any termination would need to go through congress.

 

[MilEME09]

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/trump-cusma-usmca-trade-renew-9.7230164

Either he doesn't know or doesn't care that any termination would need to go through congress.

https://twitter.com/x/status/2064749489743691913

im sure some will spin this as our fault

 

[Altair]

https://twitter.com/x/status/2064749489743691913

im sure some will spin this as our fault

The cognitive decline on display makes me feel as bad for him as i did for Biden.

That all said, this is old man yelling at clouds territory. USMCA is law of the land via an act of congress, he cannot simply terminate it. Congress would need to vote to also terminate it.

He certainly can choose to not renew, but it runs as is until 2036. Big whoop.

 

[brihard]

https://twitter.com/x/status/2064749489743691913

im sure some will spin this as our fault

Meh. Ok bud, you know what, fill your boots. We’ll watch and laugh as you flop around impotently in front of Congress on this one.

What’s that saying he likes? He ‘doesn’t have the cards’.

 

[dapaterson]

Meh. Ok bud, you know what, fill your boots. We’ll watch and laugh as you flop around impotently in front of Congress on this one.

What’s that saying he likes? He ‘doesn’t have the cards’.

Clearly is next step will be for him to call the president who negotiated that deal "Not very smart."

 

[KevinB]

The cognitive decline on display makes me feel as bad for him as i did for Biden.

I stand by my original statement he has some sort of stroke or mental break after he lost in 2019.
45 was fairly logical (if still annoying and boisterous)

That all said, this is old man yelling at clouds territory. USMCA is law of the land via an act of congress, he cannot simply terminate it. Congress would need to vote to also terminate it.

So you have faith in our Congress for this?

He certainly can choose to not renew, but it runs as is until 2036. Big whoop.

Trump often talks to talk -- 9/10ths of what he says is just noise.

 

[Altair]

So you have faith in our Congress for this?

I have faith in your congress to do nothing. They are good at doing nothing. And all they have to do here is nothing. They dont vote to end USMCA. They doing nothing means it remains law of the land until 2036.

Trump often talks to talk -- 9/10ths of what he says is just noise.

Noise has consequences. If someone says they are going to harm me and my family, sure, its just noise but you had better believe i will act on it.

 

[QV]

I stand by my original statement he has some sort of stroke or mental break after he lost in 2019.
45 was fairly logical (if still annoying and boisterous)

Looking at how past POTUS' rapidly aged while in office it should be no surprise the job is also hard on Trump. His age doesn't help.

I think his outbursts now are simply attributable to "last term" and a lack of GAF on popularity numbers as he pursues his aims. This is the wrecking ball I mentioned way back.

 

[Altair]

I'd enhance the above, under your scenario, timelines, those '12 Patrol Subs' would be '12 Nuclear Patrol Subs' as proposed under Mulroney.

What would these subs be doing to protect us from a unjustified US trade war?

 

[Czech_pivo]

What would these subs be doing to protect us from a unjustified US trade war?

Nothing
They'd be protecting us, and NATO, from our enemies.

 

[Altair]

Nothing
They'd be protecting us, and NATO, from our enemies.

I see.

This was in the context of how to prevent the USA from putting the screws to us, and I was confused as to what a fully functional military had to do with that.

 

[Czech_pivo]

Looking at how past POTUS' rapidly aged while in office it should be no surprise the job is also hard on Trump. His age doesn't help.

I think his outbursts now are simply attributable to "last term" and a lack of GAF on popularity numbers as he pursues his aims. This is the wrecking ball I mentioned way back.

Add in 25+ pounds overweight, poor diet and most likely not enough sleep.

 

[Czech_pivo]

There’s a lot more to life then spending every waking moment to think of how the US is putting the screws to us or how we can put the screws to them.

 

[Altair]

There’s a lot more to life then spending every waking moment to think of how the US is putting the screws to us or how we can put the screws to them.

unfortunately thats the gist of this thread.

Got to go with it.

 

[McG]

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/trump-cusma-usmca-trade-renew-9.7230164

Either he doesn't know or doesn't care that any termination would need to go through congress.

 

[Altair]

Well I would say that you oiled the screws to make it easy to turn.

Hypothetically if Canada had been at 2% in the 70’s to now (yes lets ignore recessions etc as this is just a hypothetical).
88 F-35 already flying, CF-18 donated to Ukraine 3 years ago
P-8 already flying
15 River class in the water
3-5 JSS in the water
12 Patrol Subs
HIMARS and other Army equipment fielded

Canada probably wouldn’t have been an easy target to push, as there wouldn’t have been any really “Gotcha” to do so.

That would have been a massive game changer. One can’t just not fund SSN maintenance.
One wonders had that program gone ahead, what the world would look like today from a Canadian history perspective.

I still fail to see how a more robust military would change things one iota regarding trump putting the screws to Canada.