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Canadians are already boycotting U.S. products. I and everyone I know in Ontario have been doing this since the beginning of February, and no plans to stop. Preference is given to Canadian first, and then products from trusted trading partners that have integrity.
Canadians purchased US$349.4 billion in goods, and spent over $20 billion in tourist dollars in the U.S. in 2024. The majority of Canadians are spending that money somewhere else now. Like-minded global trading partners are excited to welcome us, while we also look to invest more here in Canada.
Canadian retailers are changing out U.S. products for Canadian and other trading partners’ goods due to the boycott and consumer demand.
Trade with an unstable, narcissistic dictator is virtually impossible. His signatures on U.S. agreements aren’t worth the paper they’re written on. This is a key aspect to consider. Any efforts of negotiating with this kind of personality are futile. In fact, attempting negotiations can quickly make the situation become more volatile.
Canadian and European tourists are now also at great risk. Do a search of news feeds for “ICE detention” to grasp the gravity of this situation that will only intensify as I-94 takes effect. Approach at the border can put you in jail for weeks. This is an extremely dangerous position for Canadians to be in.
The U.S. is no longer a viable partner, and we are naive to believe otherwise. Tariffs or no tariffs, Trump (and a growing number of MAGA Americans) calling us bad neighbours, with constant lies about subsidizing us and exaggerated fentanyl/border issues, threats about economic war and taking over our country while trolling our leadership with moronic comments that first caused alarm, have snowballed into a growing national anger across Canada.
Canadians have always been there to assist the U.S. in times of crisis and need. The situation has become a serious breach of trust, and an unwarranted betrayal by people we once considered our close friends.
However, problems need solutions, so what happens if the majority of Canadians boycott U.S. products, and Trump has now broken our trade agreement by applying tariffs? The U.S. tariffs our Canadian products because, as the Trump administration declares, they want to produce these products and energy themselves. OK, we’ll go along with that.
Canada invests in ourselves, and interprovincial trade. We increase trade with global partners, which, thanks to the Liberal government’s foresight and effort, we are seeing a free trade agreement signed in 2017 start to come to fruition with CETA (the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement). Canada’s efforts over the last decade have bumped our global trading partners now to over 220 countries. It’s time to realize Canada’s potential.
Canada doesn’t need to tariff U.S. goods, unless we choose to, if we’re already not buying them. We don’t need to tariff goods we don’t buy. That’s pointless, right? Then there’s no reciprocal tariff battle. In fact, there’s no tariff battle at all.
The U.S. tariffs goods, energy and resources from us that they can’t do without, causing a financial burden on them. They enjoy resources from Canada that they can’t acquire anywhere else for the same cost. If we put a reasonable surcharge on all products the U.S. purchases from us — say, 10 per cent — along with no tariffs from Canada, and we refuse to negotiate, Trump will be yelling to deaf ears as his tariffs fail. Canada then moves forward with interprovincial trade and diversifies into new industries that we invest that 10 per cent in at home. We also focus on increasing trade and innovative technologies with our like-minded partner countries. A better quality of life can gradually develop with increasing gross domestic product, less taxes, and ability to pay down our federal debt. Canada will quietly grow and evolve. Fantastic.
We don’t have to engage in a futile battle with an aggressive, untrustworthy and unstable U.S. trading partner that wants to fight it out and try to take over Canada and our resources, that wants to subjugate our people in a U.S. dictatorship under “King Trump.” His intention is to force Canada into a weakened condition through economic warfare. We must be clear on his intention here. He is declaring a form of war on Canada. He looks at this like it’s a corporate takeover.
If we don’t engage in his tariff battle, and hold firm with our surcharges, he will drown in his tariffs that history proves have always failed. If we play the smart long game, with a leader that knows world-class business, we will come out ahead. Sadly, we will also be witness to the self-destruction of the U.S. by its own elected government. Maybe by the time the dust settles, their friends in Canada can help them once more. For now, we best leave the U.S. to themselves to sort out their issues and keep our distance. We have an extraordinary country of our own to finish building here.
Terry Cowan
Gravenhurst
