Trump is asking Canada to act like a grownup country... to defend our borders, enforce our laws, and (gasp) trade fairly. The marketing commissions set up by Trudeau the Elder for eggs, milk, cheese etc... these monopolies serve only to keep those who own "quote" happy and to keep prices high enough to ensure the supply is never interrupted. If that sounds like centralized planning and a command economy much like communism, surprise!! Trudeau the Elder wanted communism!!
At this point, these "sacred cow" legacy socialist programs from Trudeau the Elder should be ended and the tariffs preventing foreign competition either moderated or dismissed entirely.
Trump , has brought up dairy multiple times, we have over 200% tariffs on US milk, and butter and cheese. And surprise surprise most dairy is in Quebec and Ontario, ( I live on Ontario). I agree , we need to end the dairy cartel, and if Canadian milk and cheese is so much better then the rest of the world ( according to alot of people i talk too, i would argue Italy is pretty good ;) why dont we share it ? I bet the farmers would make way more money . Look at new zealand , which is another country not happy with our Dairy cartel
Right? It's crazy that we're being required to pay higher costs for groceries due to "sacred cow" legislation from the past. Pun unintended but yeah... lol
Bruce, a good job on getting people away from the hornets nest to look from a safe distance.
IMO Trump is stirring the pot for many reasons. The ultimate goal is to have an economic free trade zone for all of North America and some of Central America. One currency and outdated beliefs set aside for a prosperous future for all. The swamp is being drained. Change is necessary. It will not be Carney or Ford willing to make those changes ! The globalists are not going quietly.
"Buy Canadian" is a valid rant, if Canada was self sufficient and sustainable. But in the big picture, very little is actually produced here. Canada's pride in being polite, reserved, yet somewhat unconfident, keeps the majority of Canadians more than willing to lay back and be unquestionably taken care of by government. Hence where we are at now.
The keyword is ‘reciprocal’. I don’t think that Canadians realize that Canada imposes tariffs of its own. And a multitude of non-tariff barriers. What is good for the goose, is good for the gander.
If foreign ownership restrictions are eliminated, we will all stand to benefit from their elimination. There will be more competition in this space and we will pay lower prices.
No. Cartels move into our cities. Read Sam Cooper's book about thecinvasion of Chinese and Mexican cartels into Vancouver, Toronto, Halifax and Montreal. There needs to be serious restrictions on this bullshit.
It is ironic than he calls his blog “first principles,” yet his entire premise rests on ignoring first principles (non-aggression) in favor of an alleged “correction” of a non-ideal economy. This is utilitarianism, the atrocious concept that any evil is “justified” as long as it may bring an alleged “greater good” for some at the expense of others, ignoring the precedent that such violence-based actions set. Even if tariffs “corrected” the economy (they never do), it wouldn’t be worth the cost morally, nor economically in the longterm.
Philosophically, I have no argument with Bruce's position and I appreciate his willingness to swim against the tide on this immense issue. But, with a market and population ten times the size of Canada, I do wonder how he reconciles the inherent U.S. advantage in economies of scale. Particularly in the federally regulated sectors, both Canadian tariffs and onerous regulations have long been designed to ensure domestic dominance. Think RBC, Manulife and Rogers. Free, unrestricted trade would likely benefit consumers but would cause massive upheaval in corporate Canada if large global entities enter the market.
The position that a VAT on imports is equivalent to a tariff is reasonable. So for Europe this is very high, Canada's GST is relatively low in comparison.
It seems to me that D Trump has done more good for Canada in a couple of months than the Liberal has done in a decade! Go Trump!
Trump is asking Canada to act like a grownup country... to defend our borders, enforce our laws, and (gasp) trade fairly. The marketing commissions set up by Trudeau the Elder for eggs, milk, cheese etc... these monopolies serve only to keep those who own "quote" happy and to keep prices high enough to ensure the supply is never interrupted. If that sounds like centralized planning and a command economy much like communism, surprise!! Trudeau the Elder wanted communism!!
At this point, these "sacred cow" legacy socialist programs from Trudeau the Elder should be ended and the tariffs preventing foreign competition either moderated or dismissed entirely.
Trump , has brought up dairy multiple times, we have over 200% tariffs on US milk, and butter and cheese. And surprise surprise most dairy is in Quebec and Ontario, ( I live on Ontario). I agree , we need to end the dairy cartel, and if Canadian milk and cheese is so much better then the rest of the world ( according to alot of people i talk too, i would argue Italy is pretty good ;) why dont we share it ? I bet the farmers would make way more money . Look at new zealand , which is another country not happy with our Dairy cartel
Imagine the drop in our cost of living that the elimination of these tariffs would bring about. It would feel like manna from heaven.
Right? It's crazy that we're being required to pay higher costs for groceries due to "sacred cow" legislation from the past. Pun unintended but yeah... lol
Thank you Bruce for your insight and wisdom.
Bruce, a good job on getting people away from the hornets nest to look from a safe distance.
IMO Trump is stirring the pot for many reasons. The ultimate goal is to have an economic free trade zone for all of North America and some of Central America. One currency and outdated beliefs set aside for a prosperous future for all. The swamp is being drained. Change is necessary. It will not be Carney or Ford willing to make those changes ! The globalists are not going quietly.
"Buy Canadian" is a valid rant, if Canada was self sufficient and sustainable. But in the big picture, very little is actually produced here. Canada's pride in being polite, reserved, yet somewhat unconfident, keeps the majority of Canadians more than willing to lay back and be unquestionably taken care of by government. Hence where we are at now.
Government is the root of all economic evil.
The keyword is ‘reciprocal’. I don’t think that Canadians realize that Canada imposes tariffs of its own. And a multitude of non-tariff barriers. What is good for the goose, is good for the gander.
If only the Canadian government had the best interests of our population at heart, like Trump has for his. We would be happier and free.
If foreign ownership restrictions are eliminated, we will all stand to benefit from their elimination. There will be more competition in this space and we will pay lower prices.
No. Cartels move into our cities. Read Sam Cooper's book about thecinvasion of Chinese and Mexican cartels into Vancouver, Toronto, Halifax and Montreal. There needs to be serious restrictions on this bullshit.
I would like to know exactly what tariffs Canada had in place on American goods before the 2025 Trump tariff issue. Nobody talks of that.
A multitude of them.
Has the US raised any Tarrifs that weren't reciprocal? Or threatened to?
It is ironic than he calls his blog “first principles,” yet his entire premise rests on ignoring first principles (non-aggression) in favor of an alleged “correction” of a non-ideal economy. This is utilitarianism, the atrocious concept that any evil is “justified” as long as it may bring an alleged “greater good” for some at the expense of others, ignoring the precedent that such violence-based actions set. Even if tariffs “corrected” the economy (they never do), it wouldn’t be worth the cost morally, nor economically in the longterm.
Philosophically, I have no argument with Bruce's position and I appreciate his willingness to swim against the tide on this immense issue. But, with a market and population ten times the size of Canada, I do wonder how he reconciles the inherent U.S. advantage in economies of scale. Particularly in the federally regulated sectors, both Canadian tariffs and onerous regulations have long been designed to ensure domestic dominance. Think RBC, Manulife and Rogers. Free, unrestricted trade would likely benefit consumers but would cause massive upheaval in corporate Canada if large global entities enter the market.
No reconciliation needed here. The economies of scale are available to anyone who has unadulterated access to the vast U.S. market.
The position that a VAT on imports is equivalent to a tariff is reasonable. So for Europe this is very high, Canada's GST is relatively low in comparison.