Trudeau’s response to Trump is appropriate
Posted December 6, 2024
Donald Trump’s inauguration as president is a month away, but he is already governing relationships with other countries.
Prime Minister Trudeau’s efforts to work with him are a commendable improvement on his prior interactions.
Regardless of who is president, the Americans have reason to criticize Canada for its weak contribution to NATO. Member countries are supposed to spend a minimum of 2% of GDP on military compatibility. Canada is a straggler at 1.3%.
Trudeau has recently committed to getting to 2% by 2032. No sense of urgency there. And Trudeau’s history is to treat promises as a menu from which he will decide later which to honour and which to forget.
More recently, Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland released an announcement about border security, which was entirely about deterring irregular entries into Canada without acknowledging the serious problem the Americans are experiencing with illegal entries of drugs and terrorists from Canada.
Trump’s favourite word is “tariff”. He seems to see it as the solution to every problem. When you are a hammer everything looks like a nail.
He promises heavy tariffs on everything from China, in part to press them to reduce exports of fentanyl, a serious contributor to overdose deaths. But there are other agendas. He promises even higher tariffs for Chinese electric cars, which have been heavily subsidized and threaten to displace American auto companies.
He has threatened Canada and Mexico with 25% tariffs to motivate both countries to deter illegal migration and drug smuggling across their borders with the United States. Trade imbalances are also an issue.
Trudeau acted quickly and was able to arrange a visit to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort. It catered to Trump’s ego and enabled connections to be made between members of the support staffs.
As a response, Trudeau has promised to increase the number of drones, helicopters, and border staff. Canada is also assembling a list of possible retaliatory tariffs.
Some commentators have criticized Trudeau for appearing to conduct himself as a penitent. It is better to do everything possible to build connections and look for opportunities to cooperate. Catering to a bully is not fun but sometimes has to be endured.
Europe is likely to receive the same kind of treatment on trade, and is now considering retaliatory responses. A bigger concern for them is Trump’s diffidence about the need to support Ukraine’s fight for survival.
Trump has threatened to impose 100% tariffs on the nine nations belonging to the BRICS organization, who are contemplating a rival currency to the US dollar: China, Russia, Brazil, India, South Africa, Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia and the United Arab Emirates. They are seeking to replace the US dollar as the global currency for exchange.
“The idea that the BRICS Countries are trying to move away from the Dollar while we stand by and watch is OVER,” Trump wrote on social media.
Economists differ on the impact a trade battle will have on various economies. Canada’s protectionist supply-management system for dairy and eggs, which uses tariffs of up to 300 percent to keep out foreign products, is a likely target.
Tariff battles usually damage the economies of all the participants. But there is more at stake. The United States has been a leader among the world’s democracies, and its heft has been augmented by countries who frequently support their efforts.
Traditional allies who resent the heavy-handed treatment on trade will be less likely to support American initiatives on other matters.
Meanwhile, hard right political leaders in Europe are getting oxygen from Trump’s election and extreme efforts to solidify land borders.
Amid all these histrionics, it is comforting to reflect on the conduct of our political leaders after the election result in Nova Scotia. Reader Lynne Woodsworth sent these worthy thoughts:
“The lack of civility shown amongst politicians, as is often demonstrated in so many news articles and political events, disturbs me as it has become more and more common (and thus acceptable?) over the last several years.
I hope you can include a shoutout to Ms. Chender, Mr. Churchill and Mr. Houston. Each candidate’s final speech to their party, the people who voted for them, Nova Scotians in general, and especially their two rivals, were amazing examples of civility, respect, emotion and hope. I was overwhelmed to see such a great example of respectful communication.”
Houston deserved the win, but it is unfortunate that the outcome was so lopsided. The NDP will be stretched to monitor all the government departments, the Liberals will find it hard to be heard at all, and the large PC back bench will be bored to tears in the legislature.
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