The Tariff Thread

[calgarygeologist]

Originally Posted by Street Pharmacist

It's not actually technically feasible to do without breaking Ontario's grid. However, adding export taxes to electricity sold to the US would virtually do the same thing. A 200% electricity export duty would make energy unaffordable to a few states. Sadly, they are blue states and probably wouldn't change anyone's mind

Cutting exports of electricity to the US would also likely create very significant economic issues in Ontario. They would lose that stream of revenue because they won't be able to find a new market due to inter-ties. If they lose that revenue it means that Hydro One will have to make up for those losses and that means higher rates for the people of Ontario.

[mogg]

Originally Posted by activeStick

Yup the fentanyl part is correct. I saw someone explain that a couple of days ago on the news.

Legally he needs a “national security threat” to bypass congress and impose tariffs himself. Fentanyl is supposed to be that threat. This is a good synopsis:

https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/trump-...peal-1.7597895

[Huntingwhale]

Originally Posted by direwolf

At this point I'd be fine with Canada walking away from the table for a while. Tell this dips*** administration that we'll come back and talk again when they're ready to be serious.

There's really nothing to discuss. I get, they're our neighbors and largest trading partner so discussions will always happen on a variety of topics until the end of time. Still, I don't imagine trying to negotiate with a literal pedophile and his entourage of pedo-enablers is an easy task when the Americans don't argue in good faith. There's nothing to discuss at the moment and it's all a waste of time, especially when an executive order can easily rip up whatever agreement is agreed upon.

Stay the course. Keep diversifying and finding new trade deals. Help local businesses survive. Make it known to them that until adults who are serious come to the big boy table to negotiate and not a pedophile, there's nothing to discuss. Hell, make the negotiation contingent on the Epstein files being released. Trump loves to troll, so troll them back.

[puffnstuff]

Maybe just start flicking the power switch on and off...

[Slava]

Originally Posted by GGG

I think we should put export Tarrifs on Potash as a retaliation.

Potash, uranium and energy. They don’t need it anyway, so it wouldn’t really matter to them, right?

[bizaro86]

Originally Posted by Slava

Potash, uranium and energy. They don’t need it anyway, so it wouldn’t really matter to them, right?

Electricity is the best option, because it can't really be stored (things like potash and oil they have large amounts stored) and it takes a huge amount of time/infrastructure to get it elsewhere. Potash/oil if they decide to start buying Russian instead the ships will be loaded immediately. But new electric transmission/plants take years to build. Uranium they have enough stored to last until Trump is no longer president even if that requires him to die of old age.

Probably "all of the above" is the right choice, but electricity is where their balls are in a vice so if we need to squeeze that's the biggest pain point.

[direwolf]

Originally Posted by bizaro86

Electricity is the best option, because it can't really be stored (things like potash and oil they have large amounts stored) and it takes a huge amount of time/infrastructure to get it elsewhere. Potash/oil if they decide to start buying Russian instead the ships will be loaded immediately. But new electric transmission/plants take years to build. Uranium they have enough stored to last until Trump is no longer president even if that requires him to die of old age.

Probably "all of the above" is the right choice, but electricity is where their balls are in a vice so if we need to squeeze that's the biggest pain point.

I think the Canada just needs to stay the course and keep playing hardball in negotiations. Keeping our cool and not escalating anything is our best option right now.

[Slava]

Originally Posted by bizaro86

Electricity is the best option, because it can't really be stored (things like potash and oil they have large amounts stored) and it takes a huge amount of time/infrastructure to get it elsewhere. Potash/oil if they decide to start buying Russian instead the ships will be loaded immediately. But new electric transmission/plants take years to build. Uranium they have enough stored to last until Trump is no longer president even if that requires him to die of old age.

Probably "all of the above" is the right choice, but electricity is where their balls are in a vice so if we need to squeeze that's the biggest pain point.

Sure, and they do maintain uranium and oil reserves, but they don’t for potash. They also don’t produce enough uranium or potash domestically to meet their needs, so while those aren’t issues that are as immediate as electricity, they’re not in a position to not import them.

I also kind of like that slower squeeze for the negotiation process. They can put in a brave face and still tell everyone that what we’re doing doesn’t matter, but behind the scenes they full well that this is going to be a problem. Cutting electricity has that immediate impact, and while that’s satisfying, it’s probably going to make negotiations more hostile.

[bizaro86]

Originally Posted by Slava

Sure, and they do maintain uranium and oil reserves, but they don’t for potash. They also don’t produce enough uranium or potash domestically to meet their needs, so while those aren’t issues that are as immediate as electricity, they’re not in a position to not import them.

I also kind of like that slower squeeze for the negotiation process. They can put in a brave face and still tell everyone that what we’re doing doesn’t matter, but behind the scenes they full well that this is going to be a problem. Cutting electricity has that immediate impact, and while that’s satisfying, it’s probably going to make negotiations more hostile.

Nuclear power plants keep years worth of fuel on-site because they can't just shut them off whenever. So that's a real long-game type situation.