The Imperial Presidency

[robkelk]

The threat of U.S. tariffs has some Canadians taking their money elsewhere.

Considering that one of the stated purposes of the tariffs was to have Canadians stop taking our money elsewhere, they failed big time even without being implemented (yet).


The trade war is off — but for how long?

It would certainly be embarrassing for everyone involved if this was all one big misunderstanding. But if you are threatening to impose high new tariffs on a country — taxing imports from a country with whom you recently signed a free-trade agreement — you are, ipso facto, initiating a trade war.

The other problem with claiming this is just about fentanyl is that Trump himself keeps giving Canadians reason to doubt that.

Humans are conditioned to move on. But the anger Trump inspired this weekend might not be quick to fade. And the last 72 hours have exposed a patriotism and a nationalism that might be harnessed toward some hard thinking and real action toward sorting out how Canada can best move forward in a world where the United States is that much less reliable.

China hits back with tariffs on U.S. goods after Trump's levies take effect

Additional 10 per cent tariff across all Chinese imports into the U.S. came into effect at 12.01 ET after Trump repeatedly warned Beijing it was not doing enough to halt the flow of illicit drugs into the United States.

Within minutes, China's Finance Ministry said it would impose levies of 15 per cent for U.S. coal and LNG (liquefied natural gas) and 10 per cent for crude oil, farm equipment and some autos. The new tariffs on U.S. exports will start on Feb. 10, the ministry said.

China also said it was starting an anti-monopoly investigation into Google, while including both PVH Corp, the holding company for brands including Calvin Klein, and U.S. biotechnology company Illumina on its "unreliable entities list."

Separately, China's Commerce Ministry and its Customs Administration said it is imposing export controls on tungsten, tellurium, molybdenum, bismuth and indium to "safeguard national security interests."

And stepping away from money:

Trans families consider leaving U.S. after Trump's re-election

Barbara Fowler has a go bag in the trunk of her car. In it are her family's documents, burner phones, clothes, medications and an address of a house in Canada — ready, should her family need to flee their country.

Fowler lives in the United States.