If history teaches us anything, true friends show up in times of crisis. They don’t hesitate. They don’t demand recognition. They step up because it’s the right thing to do.
Canada has been that friend to the United States for decades.
Yet, the Trump administration has chosen to slap a 25% tariff on Canadian imports, citing immigration concerns and fentanyl trafficking—claims that don’t stand up to scrutiny. Canada accounts for less than 1% of illegal immigration and fentanyl entering the U.S.
Is it appropriate to impose economic hardship on a nation that has consistently supported America? That’s not leadership.
That’s a betrayal.
Canada Has Always Been There for the United States
Moments of crisis reveal the character of a nation, and when the U.S. has needed help, Canada has answered the call, again and again.
When U.S. airspace shut down on September 11, 2001, Canada launched Operation Yellow Ribbon, opening its airports, homes, and hearts to 33,000 stranded Americans. Gander, Newfoundland, a town of just 10,000 people, welcomed thousands of passengers, providing food, shelter, and comfort in one of history’s most remarkable acts of spontaneous goodwill. There was no hesitation, only humanity. They even made an award-winning musical about it, “Come From Away.”
When Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans in 2005, Canada was the first country to send disaster relief under Operation Unison. Military ships sailed south, over 1,000 personnel deployed, and medical teams worked alongside U.S. responders. As Americans faced the aftermath of one of their worst natural disasters, Canada didn’t ask, What’s in it for us? They simply showed up.
When the Iranian hostage crisis gripped the world in 1979, it was Canada—not the U.S.—that orchestrated the escape of six American diplomats. Under the noses of the Iranian government, Canadian diplomats risked everything, hiding the Americans in their homes, issuing fake Canadian passports, and personally escorting them to safety. The mission, later known as the “Canadian Caper,” became the basis for Hollywood’s Argo—but it wasn’t a script. It was real-life Canadian courage, done so without the thought of reward, fame, or eventual reciprocity.
When wildfires rage in California—like they did just a few weeks ago—Canadian water bombers fly south to help. When American power grids fail after hurricanes like Sandy, Canadian utility workers cross the border to restore electricity without hesitation.
Even when America is divided over war, Canada becomes a refuge. More than 40,000 U.S. draft dodgers fled to Canada during the Vietnam War, many of whom built new lives and became citizens, like my former boss Chuck.
And let’s go further back in history. When America enslaved so many people, Canada was the endpoint of the Underground Railroad. An estimated 30,000–40,000 freedom seekers escaped to Canada, where they were legally free. While the U.S. wrestled with its conscience, Canada quietly welcomed the oppressed like Harriet Tubman.
These are not the actions of a rival. They are the acts of a steadfast and mostly silent yet overly polite ally.
A Slap in the Face to History and Common Sense
The U.S. and Canada share the largest bilateral trade relationship in the world, with over $1.2 trillion in goods and services exchanged annually, some $3.6 billion daily. Canada and the U.S. economies are so deeply integrated that a single automobile part may cross the border five or six times before reaching its final assembly.
Trump’s tariffs threaten to unravel that relationship. The administration claims the tariffs are about security—yet Canada is not the source of America’s fentanyl crisis, nor is it the cause of illegal immigration concerns. The justification falls apart under the light of fact. It may even be unlawful itself. At least one injunction is likely.
Canada is not taking the situation lightly. In response, Canada announced its own set of retaliatory tariffs against the U.S., targeting a range of American goods, from agricultural products to industrial supplies. Furthermore, the country’s citizens are mobilizing with boycotts and protectionist tactics beginning to take shape.
Economic Self-Sabotage
I don’t think of this situation as a one-sided economic war; it’s self-inflicted damage.
American businesses and consumers will pay the price. And the Trump administration has a greater chance of winning a third term than for Canada to bend over and become the country’s 51st state through economic force.
You don’t have to be a senior economist at RBC to know that tariffs are a tax on consumers. The moment they go into effect, American businesses and families will feel it in their wallets.
- Farmers who rely on Canadian markets will lose sales and face higher costs.
- Automakers, already stretched by supply chain issues, will see prices on parts skyrocket.
- Retailers will pass higher costs onto consumers, making everything from groceries to electronics more expensive.
Maybe Canada should simply stop exporting potash. In 2024, the U.S. imported 6.2 million metric tonnes of potash, with Canada supplying 87%. (~5.4M tonnes) What if Canada cut it off completely? I reckon a full Canadian potash cutoff would result in somewhere between $225 billion and $350 billion in annual negative economic impact, crippling U.S. agriculture, increasing food prices, and weakening U.S. GDP. It’s hard to plant in the spring without potash, as it turns out.
What is it all for, these tariffs?
A misguided attempt to look tough on trade? Or is it a smoke signal to distract people from other White House actions?
Friendship is Not a One-Way Street
Canada has never hesitated to stand by the United States. The record speaks for itself. The question now is whether America will honor (or is it honour?) that friendship or erode it with political grandstanding and ill-advised tariffs.
Canadians are watching. Canada is watching.
Because when the next crisis comes—and it will—Canada will remember.
And the United States should ask itself: Who do you want standing beside you then?