BY BOB GALLAGHER MTWX EDITORIAL TEAM
It’s not a love letter.
It’s a thank-you note — the kind you send after someone wakes you up by slamming the door.
Because here’s the thing:
Donald Trump didn’t just rewrite trade rules.
He made it crystal clear that we were never holding the pen.
He slapped tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum, insulted our leadership, and dismantled NAFTA just to repackage the same thing with his name on it. Then, he fired a flare gun into the global economy, kicking off a trade war where Canada was expected to smile and nod.
And in doing all that?
He did us a favour.
The Truth Behind the Tariffs
For a moment, markets soared on the news of a “pause.” But behind that blip was a brutal truth: the average tariff rate for U.S. imports jumped to 25% — up from 1–2%. That’s a Depression-era number.
These weren’t careful, strategic tools. They were blunt instruments, randomly applied, with no clear goal and no consistent logic.
And yet…
Even chaos can teach us something.
What Trump proved is that dependence is dangerous.
That the illusion of security through trade can vanish overnight.
That when one man with a Sharpie can undo decades of diplomacy, Canada needs a contingency plan.
The Real Cost of Complacency
Let’s talk about what a tariff actually is.
A tariff is a tax placed on goods that cross a border. When the U.S. government imposes a tariff on imports, it doesn’t punish foreign governments directly — it hits the importers, who then pass that cost onto businesses and consumers.
Now imagine this:
You’re a Canadian company shipping auto parts, lumber, or steel to the U.S. One day, your product is priced competitively. The next, a 25% tariff hits — and suddenly your product costs 25% more to your American buyer.
You don’t just lose margin.
You might lose the entire deal.
Because American buyers will pivot — to domestic producers, or other countries with lower trade barriers.
And that’s exactly what happened under Trump.
These tariffs didn’t just hurt Canadian exporters. They:
- Drove up costs for U.S. businesses and consumers.
- Shattered trust between trading partners.
- Weakened long-standing supply chains.
- Disrupted investment in Canadian communities.
Even more alarming?
Tariffs of this scale create exponential pain.
As economist Justin Wolfers noted, the cost of a tariff increases with the square of the rate — meaning a jump from 3% to 20% doesn’t increase pressure by 6x, but more like 50x.
This isn’t theoretical. This is felt — in grocery aisles, factory floors, and rural towns whose economies depend on access to the U.S. market.
Canada’s Response: Lead or Linger
Let’s not get distracted by whether Trump returns to office. The deeper question is:
Why are we still so dependent on a trading partner who sees deals as disposable?
You can’t negotiate with someone who doesn’t keep their word.
You can learn from them.
Trump didn’t create our vulnerability — he revealed it.
And if we’re smart, we’ll use this moment to build something stronger than dependency.
So Yes, Thank You, Donald Trump
You taught us that no deal is sacred.
You showed us what happens when we rely on someone else to protect our future.
You reminded us that real leadership means preparing for chaos, not pleading for calm.
We don’t need a new agreement.
We need a new mindset.
We need to:
- Reinforce domestic production capacity.
- Invest in strategic industries.
- Diversify our trade partnerships.
- And stop waiting for a U.S. president — any president — to give us permission to thrive.
Let’s stop being surprised. Let’s start being ready.
Let’s get off our asses and get to work.
✅ SPARK ACTION
📤 Share this post if you’re tired of being caught off guard.
📝 Got a bold idea for Canada’s next chapter? → bob.gallagher@mtwx.ca
🔗 Join the Spark Project → https://www.mtwx.ca/register
Because leadership doesn’t begin in Washington.
It begins with us.
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