Washington, DC – OTTAWA, ON (March 3, 2025):
As the deadline approaches for the imposition of tariffs on Canadian exports to the US – and with the likelihood of Canadian retaliation – both Canadians and Americans are wondering where this will lead. At a time when economic and security co-operation between the two nations is more important than ever, escalating trade tensions threaten to weaken both economies, disrupt supply chains, and create unnecessary political friction.
As the leading think-tank dedicated to strengthening Canada-US co-operation, the Center for North American Prosperity and Security (CNAPS) is home to a number of experts who can provide critical insight into the origins of this conflict, the damage that an unjustified trade war can inflict, and the solutions that could prevent both countries from engaging in costly self-harm.
● On economic and trade related issues, Tim Sargent, Director of Domestic Policy at the Macdonald Laurier Institute (MLI) in Ottawa, warns: “A strong United States is good for Canada, and a strong Canada is good for the United States. The US has every right to expect that Canada pull its weight on defense and border security, but the US needs to recognize that Canada is not a low-wage competitor stealing jobs from American workers, but rather is the US’s biggest customer and a key part of the supply chain for American industry.”
● On border security concerns, CNAPS Executive Director Jamie Tronnes notes: “While Americans might swallow weak border enforcement as an excuse for the Mexican tariffs, many are perplexed at Canada getting the same treatment. Government officials are tying themselves in knots trying to spin a drug war and border security rationale for the tariff-induced pain coming our way.”
● On broader geopolitical implications, CNAPS Senior Fellow and Director of the Transatlantic Program at MLI Balkan Devlen explains: “If Washington continues to treat trade as a weapon against its nearest neighbor, it inadvertently hands China a strategic foothold in regions where American influence has traditionally prevailed. In effect, what might be intended as a short-term economic maneuver could yield long-term strategic gains for a rival determined to weaken the very alliances that have long protected American interests.”
● On the energy sector’s perspective, Heather Exner-Pirot, Senior Fellow and Director of Energy, Natural Resources and Environment at the MLI in Ottawa, and Global Fellow at the Wilson Center in Washington, DC, emphasizes: “We are interdependent on energy. Americans cutting off Canadian energy would be like cutting off their own arm.”
A range of other experts on Canada-US trade, energy policy, defense, national security, immigration, and border issues can be made available on request.
For further information, media are invited to contact:
Dagny Pawlak-Loerchner
Senior Communications Officer
(613) 482-8327 x113
Dagny.pawlak-loerchner@macdonaldlaurier.ca
