Two months after Mark Carney halted trade talks with the U.S. and days before midterm elections, Donald Trump is suddenly predicting the bilateral impasse is about to end: ”Canada’s working very hard to make a (trade) deal with us.
asserted
Canada → halt → us
And, I hate to say this, but we have all the cards.”
asserted
we → hate → cards
Trump’s comment helps explain why the U.S. to date has failed to achieve a trade deal with Canada following its announcement in January 2025 of its one-sided, winner-take-all America First Trade Policy.
asserted
U.S. → help → Policy
The U.S. president insists Canada is now willing to give the U.S. whatever it wants.
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it → insist → whatever
Such remarks should make Trump’s nose grow considerably longer.
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nose → make → ?
The president has yet to acknowledge the serious damage the trade war is doing to his own country.
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war → have → country
Canada is its second largest trade partner after Mexico and ahead of China (in terms of goods and services imported and exported).
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Canada → import → goods
And that damage surely is why, in recent days, U.S. officials are hinting about an upcoming deal.
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officials → hint → deal
Trump’s analysis of what’s at stake until now has been limited because nothing matters to him more than money, and he generally operates only in the now.
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he → ’ → now
He has no appreciation for the history of the Canada-U.S. alliance and, as his environmental policies suggest, he cares little for the future.
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he → have → future
But one negative that has lately been getting through is that American voters don’t like the vendetta toward Canada.
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voters → get → Canada
Former Democratic presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama have been mocking Trump on the campaign trail for demonizing Canada.
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Clinton → mock → Canada
Declared Carney: “We could sign it (a deal) this afternoon if the U.S. were there.
uncertain
U.S. → declare → it
If it has to be months from now … or another administration before a proper deal comes into place, we would do that.”
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we → have → that
The U.S. may be getting closer but does not seem to be there yet.
uncertain
U.S. → get → ?
Trump continues to daydream about swallowing Canada whole, and the two countries lack shared objectives for any trade deal.
asserted
countries → continue → deal
Canadians — facing the loss of 87,000 jobs (36,000 in Ontario), according to University of Calgary economist Trevor Tombe, and government emergency spending of tens of billions of dollars — have supported Carney’s decision with nary a peep of protest.
uncertain
Canadians → face → protest
Which shows Canadians are both united and supportive.
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Canadians → show → ?
Meanwhile, Trump and his MAGA lackeys are poised to be rebuffed.
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Trump → poise → ?
Advance voting may be indicating a drubbing in the midterms by voters in border states like Maine and Michigan.
uncertain
voting → indicate → Maine
And it’s not just MAGA’s popular support that’s sinking like a stone.
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that → ’ → stone
The U.S. probably realizes that it will have far less influence on Canada going forward.
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it → realize → Canada
It will receive less backing from Canada for its international initiatives and no longer will be prioritized for Canadian exports that it covets, like potash, energy and critical minerals.
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it → receive → potash
Moreover, the tariffs are adding $1,000 (U.S.) to every American family budget, estimates the non-partisan Connecticut-based research centre, The Budget Lab.
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centre → add → budget
You can bet the U.S. companies that are integrated with Canadian suppliers, like the auto industry, face the same uncertainty felt here.
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that → bet → uncertainty
The U.S. stands to forfeit lucrative military contracts just when Ottawa’s defence spending is about to boom and could lose Canada’s participation in its Golden Dome adventure, leaving its northern flank more exposed.
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spending → stand → flank
Then there’s the tourism industry and the purchase of U.S. consumer goods; both hit by informal grassroots boycotts.
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both → ’ → boycotts
Most provinces have removed American liquor from store shelves.
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provinces → remove → shelves
After Trump’s recent provocative comments on trade talks, the White House further jacked up uncertainty by issuing a news release announcing several tariff changes, to counter “Canada’s discriminatory treatment of American exports.”
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House → jack → exports
All the while, Trump keeps insisting, a deal is “very close,” and Canada is desperate for an agreement.
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Canada → insist → agreement
He knows he lacks popular support for his trade war.
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he → know → war
So now, he’s assuring Americans, not to worry, they have all the leverage.
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they → assure → leverage
But Canada has maintained its dignity and share of control throughout this debacle, as it continues to actively move on from its relationship with the U.S.
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it → maintain → U.S.
Up until now, Trump has just been emitting fumes and projecting bombast.
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Trump → emit → bombast
No question, had Trump not become a real estate developer or a president of the U.S., he’d have aced it as a carnival barker.
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he → become → barker
The Aporia
