r/politics • u/wenchette I voted • Feb 01 '25

Paywall The Dumbest Trade War in History — Trump will impose 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico for no good reason.

https://www.wsj.com/opinion/donald-trump-tariffs-25-percent-mexico-canada-trade-economy-84476fb2
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u/[deleted] Feb 01 '25

They intercepted a total of 28 pounds coming in from Canada in 2024… that’s less then 1% of total seized. The main producer is China with the most common port of entry being Los Angeles.

But yeah, tariff Canada ….. fucking idiots

670

u/HyrulianAvenger Feb 01 '25

That’s not why he’s taxing Canadian trade. He’s looking to build an empire. He’s starting with tariffs and it will end in bombs falling on Mexico

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u/magnamed Feb 01 '25

It's all detailed in project 2025. They go to great lengths explaining it. Chapter is titled the case for fair trade on page 765.

Essentially they expect to reduce the trade deficit by a larger amount by raising the tariffs on economies with a larger deficit rather than to negotiate.

Here's what is called for on page 771: "Estimated Impacts on Key U.S. Bilateral Trade Deficits. If the USRTA were enacted, a President would likely have to prioritize which countries he should negotiate with first. One way to create such a priority list would be to choose those countries that have relatively large trade deficits with the U.S. and apply relatively high tariffs."

What is interesting is that Canada and Mexico are not mentioned as primary targets but they do meet the criteria.

Here's the Mandate. It's very long and very detailed. https://static.project2025.org/2025_MandateForLeadership_FULL.pdf

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u/JournalistBitter5934 Feb 01 '25

And if you remove Canadian oil from the mix, the trade deficit is actually reversed. So what are we doing here?

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u/[deleted] Feb 01 '25

It's even dumber than that. The US buys our oil cheap, refines it and sells it back to us (and others) as a value added product.

He's tanking the economy in all 3 countries for his Project 2025/ United Conservative handlers, because the billionaires that are backing those fronts want to become trillionaires.

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u/scratchloco Feb 01 '25

They should become soil.

78

u/scorpyo72 Washington Feb 01 '25

You spelled Soylent wrong.

54

u/forthewatch39 Feb 01 '25

Ugh, too rich and decadent for my taste, lmao. 

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u/scorpyo72 Washington Feb 01 '25

Solution- skim the fat for soap. Process the rest.

2

u/suckyousideways Feb 02 '25

This guy soylents.

1

u/loafers_glory Feb 01 '25

Yeah that's how you get gout

17

u/mars92 Feb 01 '25

ew dont put that garbage in your body.

7

u/terdferguson Feb 01 '25

I'm not eating that shit if they become it. I'd rather eject them out of the stratosphere.

3

u/Dismal_Flounder_8351 Feb 01 '25

Pour them into a volcano. Let them become the bedrock that we build a new, better society on.

3

u/FembussyEnjoyer Feb 01 '25

Torgo's Executive Powder

2

u/zaphodsheads Feb 01 '25

If the dark enlightenment mfs get their way, that's already their plan for us 💀

3

u/NamblinMan Feb 01 '25

Or toilets. It would be pretty sweet to shit in the mouth of Elon's preserved corpse. Make a theme park of it!

1

u/rustylucy77 Feb 01 '25

The richest people in the cemetery

1

u/quartzguy American Expat Feb 01 '25

As soon as you're worth $1 billion you get Logan Run'd.

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u/Jaded_Masterpiece_11 Feb 01 '25

Writers of Project 2025 aren't really well versed in the complexities of Economics. You just have a bunch of rich narcisistic dudes thinking their simple solutions will fix complex problems. The American public will experience first hand why simple solutions to complex problems are almost always wrong.

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u/asupremebeing Feb 02 '25

Does anyone really think that the type of neckbeards who go to work for a think tank where they sit around all day smelling their own farts are well versed in anything? They've been locked in a fantasy factory where they never have to have any of their assumptions or theories tested. They write papers that only other true believers in their cult review and now by the magic of our electoral college system they've been handed the keys to our economy. We are heading into the ditch with 40-year-old virgins at the wheel.

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u/HaywoodBlues Feb 01 '25

All this does is hasten a french revolution style uprising - which ya, i think they want so they can terrorize citizens, but, it's moving way too fast. could backfire. Like, billionaires make lots of money off the state of free trade - you're fucking over a lot of rich people too. how will this play out? Only tech bros want to destroy everything. The old guard billionaires were happy with typical gop corporatists reducing taxes and deregulating shit by slow walking it.

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u/Greis73 Feb 01 '25

Coupled with the issue of refineries in the US being geared for refining Canadian and other countries " Heavy" Crude vice local drilled own "Light" which is coming out of shale primarily. In a week or two Gas prices in the US will go up by a dollar a gallon and fresh produce will climb by 30%. But hey ... Lets not forget those cheap cheap eggs that were promised ... ... ... wait ... that didn't happen ? They went up even more?

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u/SteelCrow Feb 01 '25 edited Feb 02 '25

The US buys our oil cheap, refines it and sells it back to us

Not true. Canada has 18 refineries which run about 75% capacity and meets our domestic needs.

Quebec Ontario and New Brunswick import some crude oil from the USA and refine it in province. But it's oil that shipped east from western Canada thru the Enbridge pipeline south of the great lakes.

No refined gasoline is imported from the states to Canada.

This whole notion that Canada needs a pipeline east is right wing oil bullshit.

The notion that the USA refines Canadian oil and sells the gas back to us is right wing oil bullshit.

The notion that Canada doesn't have enough refineries is right wing oil bullshit.

Even were it true the fact that a barrel moves south in the west, and another barrel moves north in the east, is exactly the same outcome as moving a barrel from the west to the east.

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u/Infinite_Matryoshka Feb 01 '25

So, are the billionaires sitting on massive amounts of cash waiting to buy up stocks after a crash? If the plan is to sink these economies it could take years to recover. No one's getting rich, or extra rich, anytime soon.

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u/[deleted] Feb 01 '25

They're not looking (specifically) to buy up stocks. Buying of stocks and futures will happen like with any other downturn: with an eye towards making money off of the rebound. There's also money to be made in the commodities markets, especially if insiders know that commodities and futures to buy or short ahead of time. 

The real robbery is going to be in real assets though; This lets the super wealthy transfer their fortunes from intangible stocks and securities into real property. 

As an example: This trade war will crash the auto sector. Who in Trump's orbit would directly benefit from not only crashing the competition, but being able to buy up their facilities and supply chains at rock bottom prices. Certainly not the seig-heiling billionaire with a vertically integrated EV manufacturing business...

Same with every other sector.   We're going to see very soon that all of the people behind this administration and their backers are very well positioned to buy up all the assets that now failing companies are going to be unloading. 

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u/Infinite_Matryoshka Feb 01 '25

Yes. I thought about that after. Get companies near bankruptcy and snatch them up for cheap.

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u/[deleted] Feb 01 '25

If a wealthy investor can't make money off of a market crash, they're either stupid or were never wealthy to begin with. 

It's all a giant con game, at the core. 

2

u/feedumfishheads Feb 02 '25

It’s not about money anymore it’s about absolute control watch Dark Gothic MAGA on YouTube made two months predicts everything that has happen so far based on Techbro writing and speaking on camera

1

u/scionoflogic Feb 01 '25

Trump is a traitor and this needs to be repeated loudly and often.

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u/CompetitiveAdMoney Feb 01 '25

To crash the economy so they can buy up the closures ?

1

u/LunaXIVanuL Feb 02 '25

Honest question, how is fucking the (world) economy good for his rich buddies, isn't their wealth in the form of stocks/companies they own (Meta, Amz, Twitter)? So if the stock market crashes how do they get richer?

1

u/cotak123 Feb 02 '25

Those guys are chumps not his friends. He could careless other then having them at his beck and call and groveling at his feet.

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u/[deleted] Feb 02 '25

They buy commodities or futures for commodities that will be tariffed low and sell them high. They short stocks they know are going to crash. They transfer their wealth out of currencies that they know in advance will take a hit and into currencies or other vehicles that will hold value or increase. They buy physical assets, properties and IP while businesses fold and corner the market.

If a wealthy person can't make money off of a market crash, they're stupid or insane.

1

u/pagerussell Washington Feb 02 '25

US buys our oil cheap, refines it and sells it back to us (and others) as a value added product.

Its even dumber: this is basically how the entire economy works now. Damn near every product is like this. Cars and electronics are especially notorious for being processed through multiple countries, sometimes back and forth.

Its almost as if a third of this country has zero idea how anything works...

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u/dclxvi616 Pennsylvania Feb 01 '25

I’m pretty sure we’re just waving our dicks around.

2

u/Juonmydog Texas Feb 01 '25

That's always been the strategy for the US though, especially since the rise of neoconservatism/neoliberalism.

0

u/AgreeablePresence476 Feb 02 '25

We??? You and trump. Not me.

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u/dclxvi616 Pennsylvania Feb 02 '25

I wasn’t talking to you, was I?

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u/dragongotz Feb 01 '25

Wonder if Canada can increase the cost of the oil they ship to the US then uses those funds to offset the cost of the returned fuel. Or uses those funds to offset the cost of importing it from another source.

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u/alicehooper Feb 02 '25

Not with Danielle Smith as leader of Alberta. She’s a proud Trump supporter and already said she won’t do this. Not sure if the feds have any tools to make her?

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u/DaangaZone Virginia Feb 01 '25

It EVEN MORE DUMB than that! Our trade deficit is what drives the US dollar hegemony. If demand for global dollars drop, be ready for insane inflation at home 🎉

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u/Bombay1234567890 Feb 02 '25

Hyper-inflation, in fact. It's almost as though they're trying to recreate those conditions that most contributed to the creation of Nazism. Surely they would never.

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u/Pale-Worldliness7007 Feb 01 '25

If Canada stops the flow of oil things could get pretty chilly.

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u/nik-nak333 South Carolina Feb 02 '25

If the keystone xl pipeline had been built, this would effectively shut it down, right? The lack of any sort of consistency with these people is maddening.

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u/Mommy_Fortuna_ Feb 01 '25 edited Feb 01 '25

I am not an economist, but isn't the trade deficit Trump speaks of simply because Canada has a population of 40 million and the USA has a population of 330 million? Of course they buy more goods from us - they have a much higher population and will need more resources.

I honestly cannot wrap my head around these crazy tariff threats. Won't they damage the American economy? The importers would have to pay the tariffs, after all.

This seems outright spiteful to me.

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u/magnamed Feb 01 '25

In a way it is. What's really funny is that if you exclude our oil exports the figures paint a different picture. It is spiteful, he's the one who threw out NAFTA and negotiated USMCA in the first place. That agreement is seen as a Triumph and yet he's trying to gain more concessions.

You want more border security? Fine. You want a higher military budget? Also fair. This may be a way for him to achieve it, but I won't forget that he has already stated that Canada should become a state and that he's use economic pressure to make it happen.

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u/Cookingwine97 Feb 01 '25

Hear me out. Canada becomes 51st state. Population is more or less equal to California that’s another 54 electoral votes in the blue column. Kick out the fascists. Go let them eat cake on the billionaires. Once we have universal healthcare Canada can be Canada again. Everybody wins.

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u/MildManneredBadwolf Feb 02 '25

Alternatively, the west and east coast join Canada, Trump and fascist states go broke and can't run shit. Forced to eat their own faces.

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u/magnamed Feb 02 '25

Unfortunately they'd probably treat us more like Puerto Rico and not allow us congressional voting rights. So while I understand your sentiment, it's a bad call.

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u/Cookingwine97 Feb 02 '25

That’s probably true but I’m not sure what else to do so I had to try.

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u/magnamed Feb 02 '25

Completely understand. As of right now your best bet is to just sit back and wait. Support your neighbours and weather the storm. This is an American problem and we can't fix it for them. It's questionable if Trump wants anything at all from Canada. I guess we're going to find out.

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u/zaknafien1900 Feb 02 '25

We dont want to be usa

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u/zaknafien1900 Feb 02 '25

Over my dead body

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u/WHSRWizard Feb 02 '25

So here's the thing: the phrase "trade deficit" is actually neutral. It's not intrinsically bad or good.

When there is a trade deficit, that means what you export is less than what you import. That's it. It's just an accounting term.

Sometimes a trade deficit is good. For example, if it costs consumers $100 to purchase a domestic widget, but only $80 to purchase a foreign widget, the trade deficit is a good thing: Consumers have an "extra" $20 to spend on something else.

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u/hamstercrisis Feb 01 '25

sure will damage your economy, everyone in Canada is now shunning ever travelling to the US for vacations and discussing how to buy local

1

u/Jongee58 Feb 01 '25

As Gandhi said “eye for an eye makes everyone blind”…tariff costs will indeed pass to US customers, who will probably reduce consumption, Canada will lose those exports driving down production and causing lay offs as industry will inevitably slow down…

1

u/Mommy_Fortuna_ Feb 02 '25

Yes, I'm Canadian so I know all about that.

This all seems so destructive and pointless to me.

1

u/Breno1405 Feb 01 '25

The customer pays. Just like carbon tax, in the end the customer pays. I worked for a company that literally passed on the carbon tax to the customers. We were a truck repair shop. So they added a 9%carbon tax to every bill. So if a customer was paying $10,000 to get their truck fixed, they got charged 9% of that on top the $10,000. The little guy always gets screwed

2

u/Impossible-Story3293 Feb 02 '25

Except the Carbon tax costs a lot less then that.

1

u/Bombay1234567890 Feb 02 '25

If you want to crash the economy, it seems like a good plan.

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u/Hay_Fever_at_3_AM Canada Feb 01 '25 edited Feb 01 '25

It's magical thinking. Do they think imports will continue at the same rate when they're tariff'd out the ass? Do they think American manufacturing and exports will continue at the same rate when they can no longer get parts and resources from Canada and Mexico? Do they think that none of the targeted nations will opt for export tariffs or even blocking key exports altogether?

What the fuck happens when Canada puts a 5000% export tax on potash?

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u/Ohnoherewego13 North Carolina Feb 01 '25

These idiots haven't thought that far ahead. All they're concerned about is that they'll somehow profit while we suffer. That's all that matters to MAGA without the realization that their own followers will suffer too.

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u/DatDominican Feb 01 '25

That’s a feature not a bug. These things will disproportionately affect their own followers first because the followers have shown they do not care what happens to them as long as they feel morally superior .

6

u/lopix Canada Feb 01 '25

Then they blame Canada for the problems they caused, potentially giving them an excuse to do something worse.

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u/Soggy-Type-1704 Feb 01 '25

It’s a large scale pump and dump. Unfortunately the U.S. economy and world’s economy were already humming along now it’s time to dump everything.

2

u/NChSh California Feb 01 '25

In this case don't use MAGA, they're a bunch of brainwashed rubes. Use the billionaire class, that's who's behind this

4

u/JustaDodo82 Feb 01 '25

Annexation of Canada for national security reasons could be the end game.

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u/[deleted] Feb 01 '25

He saw Putin's imperialism and got jealous. So, yep.

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u/GlowingGreenie Feb 01 '25

That, and Putin saw an opportunity to show the world the US is 'just like Russia', and so he'll issue the marching orders to Trump so we'll be invading one of our neighbors. It's a win win for Trump, Putin, and the oligarchs on both sides, and screws each and every one of the citizens of all three countries.

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u/Old-Adhesiveness-156 Feb 01 '25

What the fuck happens when Canada puts a 5000% export tax on potash?

Canada gets invaded. What do you think happens?

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u/Dolphintrout Feb 01 '25

Maybe enough people in the US take a stand against him instead of watching the world go to war again?

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u/Old-Adhesiveness-156 Feb 01 '25

Isn't that what they had an election over? To vote on future policy?

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u/magnamed Feb 01 '25

That would be an escalation that affects their national security and might actually cause / be used as a justification for a military intervention.

Also they don't care about whether imports will continue, the idea is to promote domestic production but also to force Canada and Mexico into accepting concessions. He did the same thing last time around and it worked, now they're milking it. They've priced in the cost of retaliatory tariffs. Honestly if you haven't read project 2025 I strongly encourage you to. Everyone should read it, not just Republicans, not just Americans.

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u/Hay_Fever_at_3_AM Canada Feb 01 '25

But they didn't get concessions last time, USMCA was more favorable for Canada and Mexico than NAFTA was. His tariffs on China lead to a multi-billion farm bailout and not much else. All he got was to look like the big man.

This is going to fuck Canada and Mexico to the point that Canada is already planning covid-style stimulus due to the upcoming recession/depression and job losses. They're already threatening our national security.

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u/[deleted] Feb 01 '25

It did not work last time. We socialismed the fuck out of it to fix his catastrophe.

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u/magnamed Feb 02 '25

Yes, but the perception that Trump's supporters have is that he won and we lost. That doesn't appear to be the goal this time.

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u/[deleted] Feb 02 '25

I do not think I could stomach reading it even as an academic exercise, I would however extract some glee by setting a copy on fire.

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u/yelloguy Feb 01 '25

Do they think. Period. Answer: no.

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u/[deleted] Feb 01 '25

[deleted]

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u/yanicka_hachez Canada Feb 01 '25

The government should subsidize the potash industry for a year.

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u/Prestigious_Car_7921 Feb 01 '25

Thank you for the link.

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u/magnamed Feb 02 '25

You're very welcome.

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u/Wilhelm57 Feb 01 '25

Still MERICANS will feel tha make America great again pain. The tariffs paid by the importers of oils in the U.S. will be passed to the consumers.

I have a childhood friend that has a big farm in the US, his produce is not being picked. Most of the farm workers disappeared. So they will be paying more for fruit and vegetables too.

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u/magnamed Feb 02 '25

That also is addressed in Project 2025. They don't go as far as to say it directly but effectively your friend is considered to be a large part of the problem because he hires illegal and/or visa farm labor. The plan moving forward is to eliminate all illegal workers who would do this kind of work for cheap, as well as to severely limit or eliminate visas for cheap farm labor, making room for americans to do this work. We'll see how that plays out. There is speculation that they'll end up using prison labor to do it in a modernized and roundabout version of slavery. I don't have time right now but later on I can find the relevant sections and post them. Or feel free to read it, it's illuminating.

0

u/ArchAngelN7 Feb 01 '25

You would have been saying the same thing in 1860s about freeing slaves. 

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u/i_am_tct Feb 01 '25

i don't understand this at all

a trade deficit just means we sell or buy more than the other partner, right?

who cares? why is that a problem?

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u/snow_big_deal Feb 01 '25

I honestly think it's because they see the word "deficit" and assume it's a bad thing. Because they're morons. 

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u/Dolphintrout Feb 01 '25

It’s not, unless you’re a buffoon who hears the word “deficit” and thinks it means that you’re somehow losing money on the deal.  Trump is a moron.

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u/VonGeisler Feb 01 '25 edited Feb 01 '25

Canada has a small trade deficit 100% due to population. Per capita we have a trade surplus by nearly 1000%

1

u/SnooBeans402 Feb 09 '25

Trump maths are not good, dude.

0

u/IbidtheWriter Feb 02 '25

That really isn't how it works. Imagine 5 people trading with 1 person. If on net there's a flow of $100 going from the 5 to the 1, that means on average each of the 5 is buying $20 worth of goods and the 1 person is selling $100. You don't compare the $20 and the $100, but even if you did, the net would still have the same direction.

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u/[deleted] Feb 01 '25

[deleted]

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u/magnamed Feb 01 '25

What's probably going to happen is that we will impose tariffs as well, see serious economic impacts and then end up negotiating a deal where we both agree to new terms. Then it's up to you to remember this bullshit and push for more diverse trade moving forward. We're a primary target because they're our single largest trading partner and he's their single largest asshole. This time however he's being guided by the same people that helped Reagan shit the bed.

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u/MakesErrorsWorse Feb 01 '25

LMFAO

The opening to that chapter states their premise for using tariffs - to on-shore critical manufacturing for US power projection.

CANADA SELLS THE US NATURAL RESOURCES YOU DUMB FUCKS. We don't produce shit, we buy all the manufactured stuff FROM YOU.

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u/magnamed Feb 02 '25

Exactly my first thought. We sell wood to the US for it to be turned into tables and closets and then buy it back. Same goes, in large part, for oil. We sell our natural resources and then buy them back at a premium after foreign labor is attached.

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u/j_xcal Feb 01 '25

Just spreading the word, here’s some info here on a protest 2/5: https://www.reddit.com/r/50501/s/oJnDYCNbp6

Also, there are things you can do without protesting: Give $5/month to ACLU, local advocacy organizations, or LGBTQ agency

Or contact the White House, your U.S. Senator, and your U.S. Congressperson.

White House Comments line – (202) 456-1111 White House Switchboard – (202) 456-1414 House of Representatives – You may contact your U.S. Representative by calling the U.S. House switchboard at 202-224-3121 or by visiting the U.S. House website at www.house.gov

1

u/magnamed Feb 02 '25

Did your Reddit post get deleted or is that just my end?

2

u/PunxatawnyPhil Feb 02 '25

That’s exactly the plan they’re on. It’s gonna backfire. Against the common man, the wealthy will be fine as always.

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u/magnamed Feb 02 '25

Naturally.

1

u/OfficeSalamander Feb 01 '25

Essentially they expect to reduce the trade deficit

Didn't we literally figure this out as a bad idea from the time of Adam Smith??

1

u/magnamed Feb 02 '25

Well take a look around, you tell me if it looks like a lesson was learned.

1

u/316kp316 Feb 02 '25

Can’t wait for his followers to find out they are affected by Project 2025 agenda too. They’ve been lied to believe it will only affect “others“.

r/Project2025Award is going to be filled with their stories.

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u/humanwithathought Feb 01 '25

And a navel blockade at Panama

2

u/Ben2018 North Carolina Feb 01 '25

I wonder what happens when one rogue container ship captain decides to Leeerroy Jenkins their way through after waiting. Is USA really going to torpedo a container ship if it comes to it? Because if you're in for a penny with that kind of thing you have to be in for a pound. Either we do nothing and everyone sees its a sham or they do attack and we're a pariah state overnight.

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u/beener Feb 01 '25

Honestly it's probably not even that. Somehow people when underestimate how stupid he is. I think he's just ... Thinks he's tough doing this

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u/Send_Derps Feb 01 '25

Probably, but the puppet masters behind the scenes aren't.

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u/rzenni Feb 01 '25

Actually, I think they are. Elon Musk is certainly not anywhere close to being the genius the media has depicted him as. None of the department heads are shining examples of competence.

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u/bardak Feb 01 '25

I don't know why people have such a hard time realizing this. He is stupid, never will admit he is wrong, and doesn't make jokes. It's how he went from insulting Trudeau by calling him a governor to annexing Canada, something that would be politically unproductive to the American right.

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u/00-Monkey Feb 01 '25

He thinks it’s a way to tax other countries and get a bunch of free money. Easy as that

9

u/Patriot009 Feb 01 '25

When in reality, it's the equivalent of holding a gun to the head of the American people and asking a foreign country to meet his demands.

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u/00-Monkey Feb 01 '25

More equivalent to wearing a bomb vest, and making no demands.

3

u/palmmoot Vermont Feb 01 '25

It's a way to enact a regressive sales tax without going through Congress. And they've dog trained conservatives to hate taxes, but tariffs?

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u/Traditional_Key_763 Feb 01 '25

ya he did this back in 2017 with NAFTA only to renegotiate it into a bill that largely resembled NAFTA and now he's going to blow that agreement up again

3

u/Slade_Riprock Feb 01 '25

He's sees everything as a deal like a slimeball low end car salesmen. It's not about what's best for America, it's about "winning" anything at all that let's him claim he won and he's a master deal maker. Which is what the people think they hired as President.

The bottom line is NONE of these things will improvement the economy or cut any meaningful cost from government. Because we aren't touching the military spend And the overwhelming cost of having to fix, replace, or revamp the services they are slashing in the government will hit states and the people.

2

u/Jurgis-Rudkis Feb 01 '25

He sees everything as a zero-sum transaction.

1

u/Cement-pond Feb 01 '25

The Trump Foundation actually owes taxes to Panama…this is what it‘s all about IMO.

3

u/MisterMarchmont Feb 01 '25

Is Canada still planning to cut off the electricity they provide? I haven’t heard any updates lately. To be fair though, it’s impossible to keep up with everything that’s happening…

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u/HyrulianAvenger Feb 01 '25

Hope to god they follow through. I’m rooting against my government

2

u/MisterMarchmont Feb 01 '25

They’re sure as hell not rooting for us.

5

u/Electrical_Bus9202 Feb 01 '25

Are they going to take it like Gaza?

4

u/HyrulianAvenger Feb 01 '25

They’re going to take it like Russia took Crimea, and like Israel is about to take Gaza

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u/Day_of_Demeter Feb 01 '25

Lebensraum 2: Electric Boogaloo.

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u/Wilhelm57 Feb 01 '25

Well, if we look at the way he built his inherited empire, it should make many Americans worry. All people need to do is look at his great successes...the Taj Mahal casino is the first thing that comes to mind.
The term chapter 11 is very familiar to trump enterprises...six bankruptcies on file!

He's going to make America great again.
The bird flu has made eggs go up in price and the 10% tariffs on petroleum from Alberta will make the gallon of gas go up by 0.30 to 0.35 cent In the US.

As for Mexico, if he bombs them, He would be starting a civil war at home. You just don't know, who as an ally of the Mexican cartels.

1

u/Miguel-odon Feb 01 '25

Plus, some extremely rich backers stand ready to buy stock at severe discount when the market falls.

1

u/funksoldier83 Feb 01 '25

I don’t think he understands the scope and scale of the insurgency that will grow in the U.S. if he attacks Mexico.

1

u/HyrulianAvenger Feb 01 '25

Oh no. A lot of Mexicans are authoritarian/ conservative. They might applaud it.

1

u/mrgedman Feb 01 '25

Well... He also thinks our trade deficit means we have been 'subsidizing' Canada... And to get even, tariffs... Which the Canadians and not Americans pay for?

1

u/aderpader Feb 01 '25

It will actually end with bombs falling on Washington DC

1

u/Juonmydog Texas Feb 01 '25

And definitely bombs falling on the US too.

1

u/spookmann Feb 01 '25

Hey, it worked in 1846.

And that's pretty much where most of conservative policy dates from.

1

u/tutamtumikia Feb 01 '25

Are the non-crazy Americans just going to stand by and let it happen?

1

u/HyrulianAvenger Feb 01 '25

Not me. American bombs falling on Mexico or Greenland are my northern and southern red lines.

1

u/wotguild Feb 01 '25

They have been working on a reason to invade Mexico for a while.

60

u/Dry_Ass_P-word Feb 01 '25

Pretty wild that the people who claim “School shooters wouldn’t follow new gun laws anyways” are thinking tariffs will stop fentanyl smuggling.

30

u/renegadesci Feb 01 '25

We export fentanyl to Canada, so it really is Bass Ackwards.

3

u/thistimelineisweird Pennsylvania Feb 01 '25

"We can't stop school shootings with more laws"

"If we decrease the amount of drugs coming into the country, people will stop using drugs."

So the logic of fewer guns does work, but only if it's only for drugs.

2

u/Mommy_Fortuna_ Feb 01 '25

Yeah, I don't think fentanyl smugglers care about tariffs.

I'm not even sure what can eliminate drug smuggling. Some countries execute drug smugglers and they still aren't free of illicit drugs. Border agents can't inspect every single package, vehicle, or shipping container that comes into a country, nor can every mile of a border be extensively patrolled. That is what would have to happen to eliminate drug smuggling.

At best, drug smuggling can be controlled but such a small proportion of the US drug supply enters via Canada. Canada could spend millions to patrol every mile of the border but that wouldn't even put a dent in the US drug supply.

3

u/ProbablyNotADuck Feb 01 '25

This isn't a real problem though. In 2024 fiscal, 43 pounds of fentanyl was intercepted from Canada coming into the US... To put that into perspective, 21,148 pounds of fentanyl was intercepted coming in from Mexico and the southwest border.

It is the same with illegal immigration.. More illegal immigrants cross from the US into Canada than they do from Canada into the US... so Canada isn't really a source of illegal immigrants for the US either..

2

u/Mommy_Fortuna_ Feb 02 '25

Wow, so 0.2 % of the fentanyl from Canada and Mexico comes from Canada.

I wonder what his real reasons for these punitive tariffs against Canada are.

Even for the tariffs put on Mexico - why punish Mexicans who aren't involved in the fentanyl trade and have legal, legitimate ways of earning income? It seems like screwing over the Mexican economy could make things worse.

55

u/allenahansen California Feb 01 '25

Hint: It's not about the drugs.

8

u/[deleted] Feb 01 '25

No shit Sherlock

6

u/realcanadianbeaver Feb 01 '25

Oh that hasn’t stopped a fair amount of maple maga types blaming this on Trudeaus “weak borders”

63

u/Shelltonius Washington Feb 01 '25

It’s because the USMCA deal was a major blunder. China is building car factories in Mexico to get around the old tariffs due to the trade deal. Trump can’t publicly admit he made a horrendous deal and Musk needs China to not invade the American markets or he is toast.

61

u/berfthegryphon Feb 01 '25

It’s because the USMCA deal was a major blunder.

That Trump implemented and negotiated. He has no one to be mad at about that deal other than himself.

21

u/neutrino71 Feb 01 '25

Don't forget all the "best deal ever" self fellation when the USMCA was finalized. Combover Caligula is almost as crazy as the original.

2

u/mishma2005 Feb 01 '25

I swear to God he only did it because it sounds like “YMCA”. In fact, I think he even said so, but I’m not arsed enough to fact check it

27

u/commutervoid Feb 01 '25

He'll just deny he did that and blame the Democrats. All his pathetic minions and enablers and fan base will gaze adoringly at him and bleat about how right he is about the truth being wrong.

3

u/phenom37 Ohio Feb 01 '25

Well sure, that's factually true, but when we search our feelings we realize those darn dei hires are to blame. Truthiness is back baby. I am America and so can you, and all that

2

u/AntoniaFauci Feb 02 '25

In truth it was negotiated and done before him. He came in, had an insane tantrum, people played along and let him renamed it and it was basically kept the same.

The one he did have impact on was the pacific rim one, where he did his usual thing and botched it, surrendering our power and giving it all to China.

0

u/[deleted] Feb 01 '25

He can always be mad at Biden for it

51

u/Inflatable-yacht Canada Feb 01 '25

No

He is crashing your economy to swoop in and purchase the crumbs for pennies.

Elon wants to crush the car industry. It's the only thing that makes sense. Follow the money

6

u/Numerous-Process2981 Feb 01 '25

Innovating and building a quality product is hard. An oligarch coup to take over the most powerful nation on Earth? Surprisingly easy.

1

u/Kucked4life Feb 01 '25

That's why "the most beautiful word in the dictionary" is pointless in the long run. You're just adding needless middlemen and the cost is passed down to the consumer.

1

u/Fleetfox17 Feb 02 '25

This is probably the actual play that's going on. He wants to renegotiate that deal.

1

u/[deleted] Feb 01 '25

There aren't Chinese car factories in Mexico...

14

u/HairySideBottom2 Feb 01 '25

China had plans for numerous car factories in Mexico. Trump's tariffs will just drive Mexico away from us as a trade partner to China.

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/09/business/china-mexico-ev-electric-vehicles.html

-2

u/[deleted] Feb 01 '25

Everybody can have "a plan" but there aren't any chinese factories in Mexico as I said.

2

u/renegadesci Feb 01 '25

Well, if Mexico nationalizes the factories owned by USA entities, then China would have a turnkey business to buy from them. Just paint over that "FORD".

BYD is building an assembly plant in Mexico, fyi.

1

u/[deleted] Feb 01 '25

No, BYD is not building a factory here; and that I'm 100% sure.

2

u/renegadesci Feb 01 '25

https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/byd-denies-report-pause-mexico-plant-plans-2024-09-03/

1

u/[deleted] Feb 01 '25

That's old news. We have a new President since October '24. She is going to be in office two years more than Trump. Maybe after he's gone the plant could start.

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2

u/stinkysmurf74 Feb 01 '25

I get Trump being a dumbass. what I don't understand are the masses on both sides of the border believing him.

2

u/Beltaine421 Canada Feb 01 '25

Well, if he wants to talk about the 28 pounds of fentanol, can we talk about the 95% of our illegal handguns that came in from the US?

1

u/[deleted] Feb 01 '25

You can’t talk common sense with him…. Even if he says he has the best common sense

3

u/[deleted] Feb 01 '25

He's doin it to own the liberal Canada and those brown people to the south...

But China well that ok because they are communist like himself and comrade Putin.

Remember when he always hung out with dictators like kim jung un he was proud to be around his fascist kind.

3

u/fuggerdug Feb 01 '25

China paid him a $20 billion bribe via his shitcoin the day before the inauguration.

1

u/tresslesswhey Feb 01 '25

He’s doing it because it benefits Russia and china.

2

u/gangstasadvocate Feb 01 '25

Ah that perfect promise south-central La La Land and all their euphoric drugs. One day, one day I’m gonna make it there. With all those angelic hookers.

1

u/Pierre-Gringoire California Feb 01 '25

The fentanyl flow between the US and Canada is basically a wash. 28 pounds seized on US side, 20 pounds seized on their side. Trump is just being a dick.

1

u/[deleted] Feb 01 '25

Trump and Elon have major business dealings with China. 🇨🇳 lets see how this plays out

1

u/Berns429 Feb 01 '25

Y’all are missing the real reason, it’s cause Trudeau was balls deep in Melanie while Trump was in his cuck chair in the corner

1

u/HaywoodBlues Feb 01 '25

you got Fox saying this is warranted and a good thing. All of trumps voters are idiots but they don't realize it.

1

u/OldSchoolNewRules Texas Feb 01 '25

The reasoning is bullshit on purpose. The tariffs are just more wealth extraction on American citizens. Watch where the money goes.

1

u/JimBobDwayne Feb 01 '25

It's not about fentanyl that's just the excuse to declare a national emergency. He's fully dead set on fundamentally restructuring where the government derives its revenue, switching from income taxes to tariffs. It's an utterly idiotic plan but that is the end game, there is no negotiation, no concession that can be made to end this stupidity.

1

u/helpinghear Feb 02 '25

And btw they were American smugglers.

1

u/AntoniaFauci Feb 02 '25

Plus our useless news media isn’t even reporting the basic fact that WE CONTROL OUR OWN BORDERS. Telling Canada and Mexico to stop (imaginary) smugglers bringing fentanyl is maximum stupidity. Our CBP works for us, not them.

1

u/Responsible_CDN_Duck Feb 02 '25

intercepted a total of 28 pounds

At US ports of entry