Thread

1. simojo · 1790873133 · focus · HN ↗

   So many people come and give doomer statements on the reality of the US and Canada becoming increasingly at odds.

   As a US citizen, I just want to add that I hope some day we can reestablish a healthy relationship with our neighbors. These articles are saddening.

   1. i80and · 1790873861 · focus · HN ↗

      Disclaimer: I'm American

      I don't see how Canada can trust us again without a major cultural and legal shift in the US. The fact is that any president can, apparently, unilaterally shred international friendships, and 30%-40% of Americans will cheer it on.

      I would love a return to normalcy, but Americans need to make sure, really sure this can't happen again.

      1. db48x · 1790876406 · focus · HN ↗

         Most don’t see it as Trump’s fault. The trade agreement between the US and Canada allowed both sides to renegotiate the terms every six years. It also allowed both sides to withdraw if those negotiations failed. Trump simply took that option and proposed to renegotiate, which Canada rejected. So Trump took the obvious next step, exactly as anticipated by the treaty itself, and withdrew from it. Nobody should have been surprised by that.

         Most Americans don’t have a problem with the content of Trump’s proposed treaty either. It would have lowered Canada’s tariffs on US dairy products down from 400% to whatever the US charges on Canadian dairy products. It would have allowed US banks to enter the Canadian market just as Canadian banks are allowed to operate in the US. Etc, etc.

         The Canadian government made the soup themselves.

         1. bryanlarsen · 1790876742 · focus · HN ↗

            Canada's effective tariff on dairy products is 0%. If your strongest complaint about the agreement is a tariff that has never been collected and has no prospects of ever being collected for the life of the agreement...

            1. db48x · 1790894454 · focus · HN ↗

               I wasn’t complaining about the agreement specifically, merely recounting what those who support Trump see.

               That said, saying that the tariff is never collected is itself misleading. The importers know about the quota, and naturally they avoid going over it. It’s a restraint on trade either way and Trump proposed getting rid of it.

               1. bryanlarsen · 1790898387 · focus · HN ↗

                  They never come anywhere close to the limit so there is no reason for them to try to avoid hitting it.

                  1. db48x · 1790907447 · focus · HN ↗

                     Quite frankly that’s even worse, if true. It looks the same to Americans who hear about it, and the Canadian government would have no reason to balk at a trade negotiation over it. They could let themselves be talked down to completely eliminating the tariffs without losing anything. The Canadian response looks more and more irrational the more I hear about the details.

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