The trade war is off -- but for how long? [View all]

Politics·Analysis

The trade war is off. At least for now. But that is of limited solace. And even if the next deadline somehow comes and goes without the resumption of hostilities, it's not clear when Canadians will again be able to view the United States as a reliable friend or predictable ally.

The resolution, such as it is, came on Monday after Canadian officials agreed to a handful of additional measures to respond to Donald Trump's stated concerns about fentanyl moving across his country's northern border — the appointment of a "fentanyl czar," listing Mexican drug cartels as terrorist entities, and investing $200 million toward gathering intelligence on organized crime.

But much of what the Canadian government is proposing to do to increase security at the border was announced weeks ago — a package of measures costing $1.3 billion revealed in December.

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The turn away from our American neighbours and the new desire for made-in-Canada products might come to seem less like a moment in time — a passing fad from the early weeks of 2025 — and more like a portent of this country's future direction.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/trudeau-trump-tariffs-pause-analysis-1.7449659

This is a good analysis, imo, of the state of affairs and what's really going on.