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Canada Retaliates, Puts Tariffs on $107B of US Products (bloomberg.com)
44 points by toomuchtodo 4 hours ago | hide | past | favorite | 31 comments





50% of Americans will find out if this is what they thought will "Make America Great Again".

Destroying our relationship with our neighbors and embracing Russia, Iran, and North Korea by assisting them in destroying Ukraine and the Western alliance.


At every step of this increasingly demented reality Ive thought, this is it, this has gone too far, surely nobody will accept this and most Americans shrugged. I hold no hope that anything can motivate the general public to pay attention.

The timescale of political events got somehow compressed: every day is a week, every week a month, every month a year.

They'll be living in the Parable of the Sower type dystopia before they realise they should have done something years ago.


The reason is: It doesn't affect their pocket books.

Meanwhile property prices and 401ks are up, old people (the largest cohort of voters) really just don't care.

I wish people had more empathy for others, but they don't. They mostly only care about taxes and their personal wealth.

This level of personal greed-individualism is partly what makes America great in the good times, but awful when things get bad.


Stocks are down over the last month. Depending on the risk profile of investors, many will find their 401k plans down soon as well.

Less than 40%. (Plenty of people didn’t vote… They should have, but that doesn’t imply they wanted this.)

If you don't participate in the democratic process you don't have a right to complain when it affects you.

A democratic process being a one time thing every couple of years isn’t really democratic.

36% of eligible voters didn’t vote, so roughly half of 64% or 32% voted for this shitshow.

You mean the neighbors who pump tons of drugs into our nation and encourage violent illegal immigrants to cross our borders? Best neighbors ever!

Their trade with America is a much larger part of their economy then our trade is with them, yes they are large partners but they are wrecked MUCH faster by this trade war than we are. We’re not "destroying relationships" we’re forcing them to actually act like real partners. And we will get what we want.


> we will get what we want

Can you point to a single trade war in which the obvious winners were random third parties? (And smugglers.)


> And we will get what we want.

No, you won't. From your previous posts, you think that this will go the way things went previously, but unfortunately Trump has also repeatedly threatened Canada, Greenland, and Panama. The US has reneged on, or threatened to renege on trade agreements, treaties, and accords.

American oligarchs are openly practicing election interference, and promoting far right ideology abroad, including supporting Russia who has been a long term adversary.

The United States has not just ceased to be a steadfast ally, they have become a threat to the the rest of the world by electing a would be dictator propped up by folks who want the US to become a fascist theocracy. We will find a path forward without you, and the American people will suffer for it.


U.S. tariff strategy:

1. Impose tariffs on countries that collectively purchase ~40% of U.S. goods exports

2. ???

3. Profit


It will be like Trump’s first term.

1. Tariffs

2. Negotiation

3. Better trade agreements

People are acting like this didn’t happened in his first term.


I hope you’re right. But even if that were the case, and trade agreements were better on paper, the net effect on the U.S. after all is said and done (damaged relationships, seeking out new markets etc.) is probably negative

There are no concrete asks from the US. The president appears to vehemently believe that tariffs will “generate revenue”. There is also the unhinged proposition to absorb Canada as the 51st state.

Also, siding with Russia in their apparent plan to invade Europe, and trying to annex Greenland.

Why should they continue to trade with us?


You are being intentionally ignorant or in an information bubble. He has been clear and consistent that the tariffs are to level the playing field against nations who are devaluing their currency to make their products cheaper thereby lowering demand for US products. This take is aimed at China, so they got an additional 10% tariff on some of their goods. The tariffs on Mexico/Canada are to get them to step up and stop the flow of drugs and illegal immigrants into our country.

He has said this nearly every time he has talked about the tariffs. Will it generate some revenue sure but probably not much. The U.S. will take short-term pain, but if we hold firm, we get better trade agreements. China’s entire strategy is betting that Americans are too weak to endure price hikes on PS5s and iPhones and takes like yours prove them right.

America is in a better negotiating position than we were in 2018 and China is much worse off. They have $57T in debt, look at that number, it is 3x their GDP. They aren't devaluing their currency to destroy America it is a pure survival tactic at this point in time. They are stubborn and will hold out much longer than Mexico/Canada, but at some point they will have to make concessions.

This is all about does American and its people have the resolve to play hardball.


You did not factor in the public opinion here. Already in Europe a mass wave of boycotting American products is shaping up. The same in Canada. It's different this time.

During his first term there were at least a few adults left in the room. This time around, all bets are off.

Back in 2016, "I will miss Pence as one of the few adults in the room" was definitely not in my bingo card. What a timeline we're in.

Never thought that McCain or Romney would seem as amazing alternatives compared to where we ended up either. Russian propaganda brainrot really did a number on the American populace over the last decade.

Is 3 even true?

Trump said Canada is stealing from him by honouring a trade agreement that he negotiated.

America is a clown state.



Related:

Beijing Retaliates After Trump's Levies Hit China, Canada and Mexico - https://www.bloomberg.com/news/live-blog/2025-03-04/trump-ta... | https://archive.today/iXcYm


Mostly on agricultural goods:

https://www.reuters.com/world/china/china-vows-countermeasur...

China’s apparently the biggest importer of US agricultural products.



All those people who voted for Trump because they hated high prices and inflation are about to get a very harsh wake-up call.



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