Summary
Donald Trump’s threat to impose 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico has reignited tensions between the US and its trading partners, disrupting their deeply intertwined economies.
Canadian PM Justin Trudeau is leading a united response, but Trump’s unpredictability looms large.
“Good-faith negotiator is not usually a descriptor of Donald Trump. He loves to disrupt it. He loves to divide and conquer,” said former Canadian diplomat Colin Robertson.
Mexico faces panic, while Canada considers pivoting to a US-only trade pact, risking a rift with Mexico.
Trump loves to divide and conquer….so we let him divide and conquer.
He’s normalized so many things that are illegal, immoral, and just nasty behavior. It’s almost like he’s the antichrist.
Even before Trump’s announcement, the Canadian prime minister, Justin Trudeau, and a handful of provincial premiers had mused openly about cutting Mexico out of future trade talks, instead pivoting towards a Canada-US trade pact – a move that Mexico’s lead negotiator called a “betrayal”.
What a convenient time to act on that.
