Canada and the World

[EBT]

https://www.dentons.com/en/insights/newsletters/2025/march/21/trump-2-0-navigating-change-in-canada/china-announces-tariffs-targeting-canadian-agriculture-and-food-products

Right. China put 100% tariffs on Canadian products in response to Canada (Trudeau) putting 100% tariffs on Chinese EVs. Canada started this trade war with China, and stupidly, Carney has yet to drop the EV tariffs, even though Trump has told Carney to his face that he is going to take all our auto manufacturing jobs and there is nothing we can do about it.

 

[Adjei]

Right. China put 100% tariffs on Canadian products in response to Canada (Trudeau) putting 100% tariffs on Chinese EVs. Canada started this trade war with China, and stupidly, Carney has yet to drop the EV tariffs, even though Trump has told Carney to his face that he is going to take all our auto manufacturing jobs and there is nothing we can do about it.

Exactly. China only put those tariffs in place after Canada put the tariffs on Chinese EVs. Canada blindly following the Americans as usual. We all see how well that has worked out for us.

 

[kEiThZ]

Right. China put 100% tariffs on Canadian products in response to Canada (Trudeau) putting 100% tariffs on Chinese EVs. Canada started this trade war with China, and stupidly, Carney has yet to drop the EV tariffs, even though Trump has told Carney to his face that he is going to take all our auto manufacturing jobs and there is nothing we can do about it.

Exactly. China only put those tariffs in place after Canada put the tariffs on Chinese EVs. Canada blindly following the Americans as usual. We all see how well that has worked out for us.

The question asked was when has China ever retaliated. The question was answered. And really interesting that y'all are in a Toronto centric forum and don't understand the importance of the auto sector to the Canadian economy.

 

[EBT]

The question asked was when has China ever retaliated. The question was answered. And really interesting that y'all are in a Toronto centric forum and don't understand the importance of the auto sector to the Canadian economy.

I understand very well the importance of the auto sector to the Canadian economy. I have posted many times in this forum my frustration at Ottawa and Queen's Park doing nothing about Trump's poaching of our auto sector. I have also said Canada needs to drop the 100% tariffs on Chinese EVs. Not reduce the tariff to zero, but to an amount that will let domestic factories compete. We already allow Chinese-made internal combustion engine (ICE) cars to be imported into Canada, with a tariff of about 6.1%. We could have a somewhat higher tariff rate for EVs, but we need to open our market, especially if the liberals are serious about reducing carbon emissions. We should also be working to encourage Chinese EV manufacturers to set up shop in Canada. This year, BYD will invest more outside of China for the first time. Why aren't our politicians trying to get a piece of that action now that the Americans have made it clear that they don't want to buy any cars from Canada anymore?

 

[Full Metal Junkie]

Honestly I think EBT is just a troll [...] I think everyone should stop feeding the troll.

But he tells so many great stories about him writing emails! Like the 100th time he emailed Carney to tell him that the Reagan ad was amazing and that Carney is a snake for not having defended the Reagan ad to Trumps's face, even though @EBT hated the Reagan ad when he first saw it and emailed Doug Ford to let him know just how terrible the ad was. I mean, c'mon, that is Email Hall of Fame level stuff.

 

[afransen]

Canada has secured its participation in the EU defense procurement program. I think great news for Canadian sovereignty and participation in the defense industry build-up.

Canada clinches deal to join Europe’s €150B defense scheme

The deal concludes months of tough talks and will allow Ottawa to take part in procurements financed by the EU’s SAFE program.

www.politico.eu

 

[Admiral Beez]

Canada had better be prepared for a flood of asylum claims as thousands of failed and cancelled claimants flood northward rather than homeward.

Trump’s halting of asylum claims prompts fresh calls to suspend Safe Third Country Agreement

Pact allows Canada to turn away potential refugee claimants entering from the U.S.

www.theglobeandmail.com

Paywall free: https://archive.is/apygb

 

[Admiral Beez]

Canada has secured its participation in the EU defense procurement program. I think great news for Canadian sovereignty and participation in the defense industry build-up.

Canada clinches deal to join Europe’s €150B defense scheme

The deal concludes months of tough talks and will allow Ottawa to take part in procurements financed by the EU’s SAFE program.

www.politico.eu

That sounds like we'll be buying the German submarines rather than Korea's. @kEiThZ thoughts?

And now maybe we can join the European GCAP or FCAS to replace our F-35s in the 2040s.

 

[kEiThZ]

That sounds like we'll be buying the German submarines rather than Korea's. @kEiThZ thoughts?

And now maybe we can join the European GCAP or FCAS to replace our F-35s in the 2040s.

That's more about what we want to sell than what we'll buy. I don't think it necessarily forces our procurement that way. Especially since ties with Japan and SK are of growing importance.

 

[lenaitch]

Someone forwarded the opening video for the 2025 Halifax Security Conference. It's pretty decent - about 9 minutes. A couple of subtle digs.

I am told the US did not send an official delegation, but it seems some high-ranking military staff decided to take vacation and spend it in Halifax.

Opening Video 2025 - Opening Video - Halifax International Security Forum 2025

This is "Opening Video - Halifax International Security Forum 2025" by Halifax Videos on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them.

vimeopro.com

 

[kEiThZ]

I'd say the bigger news is the absolute clown show that is their new National Security Strategy. Especially after the theme of the classified version leaked.

 

[Northern Light]

I'd say the bigger news is the absolute clown show that is their new National Security Strategy. Especially after the theme of the classified version leaked.

Can you elaborate on the above, please?

 

[Full Metal Junkie]

I'd say the bigger news is the absolute clown show that is their new National Security Strategy. Especially after the theme of the classified version leaked.

Can you elaborate on the above, please?

ditto the "elaborate, please"
I'd be curious to compare/contrast your thoughts on it vs. an American intel analyst:

 

[kEiThZ]

Can you elaborate on the above, please?

‘Make Europe Great Again’ and more from a longer version of the National Security Strategy - Defense One

‘Make Europe Great Again’ and more from a longer version of the National Security Strategy

A fuller version reviewed by Defense One outlines the Trump administration’s plans for shedding old relationships and creating new ones.

www.defenseone.com

Most notably:

The C5

Over the summer, President Trump made headlines when he lamented the expulsion of Russia from the Group of Eight—now the Group of Seven—as a “very big mistake.” He even suggested that he’d like to see China added to form a “G9.”

His national security strategy proposes taking this a step further, creating a new body of major powers, one that isn’t hemmed in by the G7’s requirements that the countries be both wealthy and democratically governed.

The strategy proposes a “Core 5,” or C5, made up of the U.S., China, Russia, India and Japan—which are several of the countries with more than 100 million people. It would meet regularly, as the G7 does, for summits with specific themes.

First on the C5’s proposed agenda: Middle East security—specifically, normalizing relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia.

This is pretty close to the Russian worldview of the world divided between major powers. But somehow Japan is included here.

It's nonsensical that the UK and France, two G7 economies and P5 members are not considered worthy. But Russia with an economy the size of Italy is. All of Europe is treated as a prize to split between the US and Russia. This whole thing is beyond ignorant.

This stuff used to be written by academics, senior diplomats, intelligence officers and generals. It would think deeply about geopolitics and where resources should be allocated to boost state power. Not it's some MAGA fever dream that coincides heavily with the Russian and Chinese doctrine of spheres of influence.

 

[kEiThZ]

This is a podcast I listen to. An episode on this topic. Worth the listen.

'Safer, Richer, Freer, Greater'? Trump's New Strategy for American Power • Stimson Center

Chris, Zack, and Melanie take a look at the Trump administration’s newly-released US National Security Strategy. Is it a coherent strategy? How will diplomacy, military might, and economic power be developed and deployed to advance American interests? Will the strategy usher in a new Golden Age...

www.stimson.org