US Ban on $1B in Canadian Alcohol, Motorbikes Takes Effect
Should Canada stand firm with dollar-for-dollar retaliation or drop the theatrics and accept a rebalanced deal?
Above: A worker adjusts cans of Ontario beer in Ontario, Canada on Sept. 29. Image credit: Cole Burston/Bloomberg/Getty Images
The Spin
Anti-Trump narrative
Canada won't cave to pressure from Trump. Standing firm with dollar-for-dollar responses and outreach to Americans hurt by these policies is what got a deal done before, and it can work again. No country should have to pay tribute for the privilege of selling goods to a neighbor.
Pro-Trump narrative
Decades of lopsided terms handed Canada the better end of the bargain, and rebalancing that is long overdue. Picking a fight with the market that keeps Canadian industries afloat is a losing hand, and the flight of manufacturing into the U.S. proves the leverage runs one way. A fair deal led by President Trump is still on the table, but only for those who drop the theatrics.
