Donald Trump steps up a trade war aimed at throttling Canada economically

In confronting Donald Trump, Canada faced the choice of either caving in or retaliating. On Monday, March 10, it chose to strike back, imposing a 25% tariff on electricity exported from Ontario, which provides power to 1.5 million people in the northern US states of Maine, Michigan and New York.

The clever tactic cut Trump to the quick. The president of the United States therefore decided, on Tuesday, March 11, to go one step further and tax Canadian steel and aluminum imports not by 25%, but by 50% (he scrapped the 50% hike that day, according to a statement from the White House and as of now is resuming the original 25% tariff set to begin at midnight on Tuesday). The situation has gone beyond a simple trade war: Trump has appeared intent on economically throttling Canada, as if by way of forcing it to join the US, as he explained in unprecedented fashion on his social media platform, Truth Social. Ontario suspended its threat on Tuesday, after a day of crisis. Trump eventually said he would “probably” back down on the 25% surcharge, in one of those back-and-forth exchanges for which he has had such a penchant.

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