Quote:
Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction
The whole border thing is just a pretense for him to impose economic pressure and assert control over Canada. Trump has been talking about tariffs since the 1990s and it was only recently that he has tied fentanyl and migrants into the equation. And like you said, the numbers are pretty insignificant especially when you consider the amount of contraband that enters Canada through the U.S. The U.S. trade deficit with Canada, which is about $40 billion, not $200 billion like he keeps saying, is mainly because the U.S. is a wealthier country with 10x more people, therefore they buy more stuff than Canadians. It also ignores that the low prices they pay for Canadian products allows them to sell American products at a greater surplus to other countries.
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Legally he can't impose tariffs under USMCA, which is why he's calling it a security emergency at the border. Using this pretext he can do what he really wants which in his mind is to raise billions of dollars from tariffs and to encourage businesses to relocate to or invest in the US. The border, at least on the Canadian side, is a necessary red herring.