I don't support either Trudeau, Justin or his father, the deceased Pierre. This Liberal federal government has put all Canadians in great debt, implemented policies that I am opposed to- to the core . They are also trying to reinstate a firearm registry that will be another boondoggle.
I find Justin repugnant, . Canada is America's greatest allie and friend, don't let Trump jeopardize this.
Yeah, we need to get rid of Trudeau government, the archaic marketing boards that fixes pricing and production. The Dairy industry is an example of this, much of this is in place to appease Quebec and hence , a national unity discussion.This is not a a direct attempt to hurt American's.
President Trump has a poor understanding of Canada's internal politics and would do well to say nothing until he is informed. God Bless America.

The only element that Trump will jeopardize is that Commie bitch little Justin Trudeau.

What exactly makes you think that Trump doesn't understand Canadian politics?He understands what's fair and unfair to Americans and that's all we need to know or care about.

All of Trump's opponents have underestimated his knowledge and skill and they've all been vanquished or consigned to obscurity.

I notice the Canucks, of late, to be more worried about feelings.

In the history of the world there have never been two country's that get along as well as Canada, and the US. This little squabble is nothing, and will soon be over.

We were so very close to that ourselves. If Hillary would have won, we would have been well down the road to socialism already.

Don't worry, as he said, he thinks the world of Canadians, but is not thrilled with your boss.

Since the 50's we have been on a road that uses socialism for it's shoulder and those shoulders have been getting wider every year. Now, they are lanes for lieberals.

FIXT.

Are you suggesting we continue bending over and taking it in the rear over the trade deficit we help finance Canada with?

Sorry, but Trump isnt in the business of pussyfooting around and straightening out the internal political problems of foreign nations. When they start sucking air they will get it done themselves. Witness NK.

In the grand scheme of things.......a little dairy aint that big a deal.


If it means Canada gets to maintain a bit of dairy capacity......why not?

A few billion here and a few billion there and suddenly we are talking real money.

OP, no offense, but please read my next thread.

Thank you for your concern, eh.

I love Canada and Canadians...have spent a lot of time there and even worked in Canada
as an American employee of a Canadian based firm working on both sides of the border...

use to make me laugh tho, that our Canadian Employees ( sales folks) use to always try
to get positions to cover both sides of the border or to get to exclusively work American accounts.

I'd ask them why and their usual response was "Because there's no real money in Canada"...

I've always been in Favor of cutting Canada some slack...

would rather see American money go to help out Canada financially, then say
seeing our tax dollars go to prop up California and their welfare Disneyland down there...

Canada helps out the rest of the USA a lot better than some of our state do... like NY or California...
which are a drain on the nation...yeah, those states have big businesses.. but they also have
big welfare drains...

I don't think this has anything to do with dairy.

Some people in Canada and Mexico have a prettty good deal going as a repackager. They are bringing this stuff in from China and reselling it to us thru NAFTA. Thats the killer and does very little to nothing for the average Canadian. IMO, Trump took a schitt in Canada's Cheerios to move the goalpost in the NAFTA negotiations. Now, not placing tariffs on products producted in Canada will be a win for Canada. You couldn't say that a week ago.

Sportingspecialist

Your lack of knowledge regarding subsidies and tariffs applied to imports into the US is appalling.

The inconvenient truth is America has plenty of both. How about lumber? How about 300% recently applied to Canadian aircraft purchases by Delta? Sugar, tobacco? Billions more to subsidize the growing of corn and milk production.

We buy billions of dollars of US dairy products each year including 400,000,000 more dollars worth of US dairy than you purchased of Canadian dairy last year alone.

Its odd seeing someone reveling in their own ignorance. You need to cut back on the Trump/Fox cool-aid a bit.

Have a great day

This is not negative commentary to the OP.
The Canadian GOVERNMENT, not people are setting trade to benefit themselves. So did the US politicians, they sold out US interest for a kickback.
President Trump is not against the people of Canada, just unfair trade to impact Americans.
Taking China steel through Canada, then dumping in the US to oppress the US steel industry is money for corrupt politicians on both sides, but not good for the average American.
Balanced trade benefits all people, corrupt trade practices only benefit politicians.


EDIT: We did send some defective fake eyebrows up north, and all Americans are ashamed inferior product dumping.

I hate to tell you this, Jag, but the trade deficit between Canada and the US is $8.4 billion---in the US's favor.

It's not like Mexico where it's something like $150 billion against the US.

So if you want to go hunting, go where there is some game.

Trade with Canada

Terryk

Just a BTW.................did u know the Trump fortune was started more than a 100 years ago in Canada?

Grandpa Trump arrived from the US during the great Yukon Gold Rush of 1898 and set up the first Trump hotel on the banks of the Yukon River in downtown Whitehorse. Of course it was more brothel than hotel.

Anyways Grandpa Trump tried to return to Germany with a half million 1902 dollars but was threatened with jailing for draft evasion, so returned to New York instead.

Yes, that means that china steel that has a canada re-stamp on it is OK to put US workers out of business. Yes Trumps grandpa dealings a over a century ago should impact the average steel worker today. I fully agree. Thanks for that juicy bit of logic.

Globalism is the enemy and Trudeau is one of them. If you can't see that you are BLIND! Liberals are globalists and the US is packed with them, y'all sound worse than we are at this point and if you're not careful you won't have a Canada with all the immigration problems and the land grabs from foreigners like China buying huge amounts of Canadian acreage.

Trade is just one issue and Trump has said, he will level the playing field for our interests. I suggest during your next election you hire the right guy to fight for Canadian interests to do the same, cuz Trudeau (like Obama did to us) is selling you down the river.

In fact, the best thing anyone in any country can do right now is embrace their culture, and rekindle a passion for their own country. Stick it back to the globalist POS's and become a Patriot! Fight for your countries dammit!

The rest will work itself out between us, Trump and hopefully your next PM. Trade and economics should be competitive, that is how it levels out.

Trump is THE Alpha Dog on the world stage at the moment and I for one am proud of him and enjoy watching the rest of the world's so-called leaders whimpering and pissing down their legs and that includes the majority of DC.

God Bless ALL of North America!

So sorry for you being an ass-hole but I don't watch Fox.

I also made no mention of subsidies or tariffs.I don't give a rat's ass about your interpretation of these issues.All I really care about,is that this nation has finally elected a President that has displayed a real concern for our financial health and how badly the U.S. has been treated in trade deals.We're not the worlds piggy bank.

If we made Canada pay for the security,that our nations armed services provides to this continent,Canada would owe us trillions.

Canada has shown a propensity to elect Communists.Pierre Trudeau buried Canada in unsustainable debt.We have our own issues and I can't be concerned about another nation.Our feel quite confident that our President will take care of us and Canada's Commie bitch will take care of Canada.LOL

That.

Whenever bad things happen in the US, I blame Canada, with its hockey hullabaloo and that bitch Ann Murray,too.

That was a quote from Everett Dirksen. He had some great ones.

One of my favorite was this:

"I am a man of fixed and unbending principles, the first of which is to be flexible at all times."
Everett Dirksen

Another so true:

"But the basic difficulty still remains: It is the expansion of Federal power, about which I wish to express my alarm. How easily we embrace such business."
Everett Dirksen

So all those millions of American iPhones in Canada are not made with Chinese steel? Certainly lots of Chinese labor.

My company recently bought a prefabbed 50 man mine mine camp from the western US. It was made out of stacked Seacans and had all the plumbing/heating, appliances and finishing installed by Americans. The Seacans were all built off shore, probably with Chinese steel.

Just saying.......

The "Trudeau Syndrome"

Canada only exists in its present form because we rest under the wings of the Eagle. I don't want to imagine what a map of the world would look like today without the US keeping the barbarians at bay.

You probably shouldn't use Probably facts when you're "Just Saying".........

I would not want to imagine that either.

Canada is a great friend of the USA but it is time to play fair. The problem is not the average Canadian but the greedy .gov and the greedy corporate.

Bushrat
Really? Canada has been invaded only twice in its past..................both times by the Americans. Canada has always joined up for the great wars years ahead of the US and has 100,000. graves in Europe to prove it. Canada will always stand up against tyrants.

You sir, disrespect their sacrifice.

And Trump wants us to drink more milk...................

You have to deal with greater issues than worrying about our president.You should be more concerned about the Commie bitch that embraces sodomy, homosexuality and pedophilia.

Or the same Commie bitch that has capitulated to the Muslim's death cult.


So please spare us your condescension.

Foreigners seem to think that sticking their noses into America's business is some kind of natural right. Trump has said nothing about your politics that I'm aware of, only about tariffs. Your Kewpie Doll PM should STFU and get that eyebrow looked at.

Milk is good for you.

You're gonna need if you plan to defend yourself from the rest of the world.

Believe me, Canadians will fight their own fights. The Germans coined the phrase" storm trooper" for the Canadian infantry of WW1. My family fought and died in both world wars, Afghanistan and many Canadians died in Korea and Vietnam. America is our great friend and we would surely put our lives on the line again for freedom, folks. God Bless.

I was going to respond to the OP but I see you guys pretty much covered what I was going to say - thanks...

My family fought and lived. That's how you win wars.

Good god.

This is one fugged up world.

You really need to read up on some history.
The only time the US officially went into Canada was to fight with the British during the Revolutionary war and the War of 1812. How many Canadians helped the Brits kill Americans in those two wars???
There were four unofficial "invasions".
1- The Dickson Filibuster of 1836
2- The Patriot War of 1837–1838. That was because the British army killed a American. President Martin Van Buren dispatched a military unit under General Winfield Scott to defuse the crisis.
3- The Fenian Raids of 1866–1871. That was Irish-Americans fighting the British. The US military worked to stop the invasion.
4- The Oka Crisis of 1990. A group of armed Mohawk Indians who were U.S. citizens traveled to Quebec at the invitation of militants at the Kanesatake Mohawk reservation to protest the expansion of a golf course on disputed land.

The US has only fought the British, not the Canadian people other than the British tit suckers.

I certainly don't disrespect their sacrifice and I certainly will not disrespect the Sacrifice of Americans either. My family fought and died in all these wars and are in graves in Europe, Korea, Vietnam plus others including American Civil war graves in the South and North . Family has been in North America and spread from one end to the other since landing here in 1632. If the US hadn't stepped in to WW11 things wouldn't have turned out like they did, you forget we were losing that war, if Uncle Sam hadn't stepped in then or policed the world since you might not be free to speak your opinion here.

Exactly, and forever grateful- this is not arguable

Whenever the time has come, both have stood shoulder to shoulder.
I suspect it will stay this way.

You are funny. Why do you suppose Canada has never been invaded directly by another foreign power? Is it the fierce warrior reputation you guys have? I'll wait while you type up your answer. . .

Geography mostly.


Same as us.

. Did any of you read my original post?

Canada is the hat of America is what my buddy from the 1000 Islands always says.

Just so there's no mistaking my position, I want to make it clear. I've lived near the Canadian border for a good portion portion of my life. I love Canada and it's people. I've got a lot of Canadian friends. The vast majority of them are pretty laid back and true to that reputation they have. But every now and then you run into some that are really mean spirited with have a very douchey view of Americans. Those are the ones I'm addressing in my prior posts. . .

I agree with that to an extent, but I think there's a far more compelling reason.

So, do we owe reparations?

I have Rodeo'd with many American's, I worked as a Big Game Guide and hunted with many more . Ordinarily, a visit around a campfire brings people together.

Sorry i raised a stink. We only run an $18 billion deficit to Canada.

With these deficits below, it is increasingly evident the worlds economic progress has been financed by the workers of the US. Of course, we should keep paying the way for the worlds wealth.

https://www.thebalance.com/trade-deficit-by-county-3306264

+1
I can not count the nights in Manitoba, Ontario and Saskatchewan sitting around a campfire with a mix of Americans and Canadians.
The only things we argued about was hockey and beer.

Yes, and you parroted OUR liberal media's view of how the G7 meeting went.
As a solution, how about ALL tariffs be dropped from both sides?

What do you mean "don't let", the man is the "American President", he is not there for Canada, Australia, or any of a myriad other nations. He is putting his nation's interests first and it is a damn shame my government won't get of it's lefty bloated arse and do the same.

Once upon a time my government put the Australian taxpayer first...now it shafts the Australian taxpayer first and panders to the third world filth it has imported against the taxpayers wishes.

Added, and if that makes me sound envious of those f-cking yanks then damn right I am, for they have a head of State that cares about his people.

My disagreement with you is your request to not let Trump mess up our relationship just because we are taking an $18 billion screwing a year.

I aint worried a bit about Trump messing up our relationship, but your PC socialist corksucking Justin is another matter all together. IOW, YOUR PM IS A BM.

Agreed, tariffs are counter productive. I will do my part to elect a new Conservative PM.as a card carrying Conservative. Trudeau is an embarrassment to westerners. Country folk did not elect him.

Still don't know why you guys are ragging on Canuckia so much....

So their prime minister is a HoMo, and Commie..
so was Obama...

and how much money are we talking about a Trade Deficit with Canada?
Say compared to Mexico?

Canada isn't flooding our nation with illegal immigrants..
working under the table and then sending all that money back home..

Canada's economy isn't propped up due to money sent home, that their people
earned in the USA....

They don't have drug lords flooding our nation with drugs, gangs etc...

Canada isn't a problem for this nation, and undermining it like Mexico is...

Canadians don't get special status like Juan and Jose get in this country...

How many cities and states are "Sanctuary Status" for Canadians?

I'll take Canada any day.... over Mexico and the crap that they send across this nations borders any day...

Plus Canadians Speak English instead of this No Habla BS....

then there is Quebec.. but they are on their own planet.. and plenty of decent Canucks don't care for
Quebecois and their BS much either... Quebec couldn't stand on its own anyway...

its kinda like Canada's version of California....a spoil brat...never happy about anything.

Yes you have a grasp of this

They started it with the Trump bashing. Like I said, I love Canada and Canadians. Just every now and then you run into one that doesn't play nice. . .

Who brought this up?
Hell, Trump took Mehico to the woodshed pre-inaugeration.

P.S. I've nothing against Canada nor her citizenry.

Really? We don't answer to any Monarchs like y'all do, took care of that problem over 240 years ago. We still came and fought for our allies anyway.

Some of us call Canada the 51st state which is complimentary and inclusive, you'll never hear us refer to Mexico as such.

We have a$$holes on the campfire that might give Canada grief on this side of the border and there are a few above the Medicine Line that do the same to us - I guess you fall into the latter group. But both groups are few and are not paid attention to by the majority of folks here.

I'm beginning to wonder if you just like to kiss Trudeau's ass, which would put you in the liberal troll column!

Did you think Obama was a good president? A LOT of Canucks and quite a few others from Australia to Europe had plenty of negative stuff to say about his sorry ass, and except for the Soros paid trolls damn near the entire forum applauded it. Trudeau is your Obama!


Hey Bushrat, come on down to Georgia anytime you want! Got some damn good Barbeque and cold ones waiting...we can give each other szhit about who has the best sports teams, prettier women and tastier beer and maybe kill a buck or throw a line in!

If one observes Trump's technique over time, one might notice that he likes to shake things up at first, sort of break the glue of inertia that logjams are made of, and then settle down to make a deal. His first move isn't, nor even his second, necessarily the direction he actually intends to go, much like a running back juking a defender on a football field. Point I'm making is, wait and see how it all shakes out. Don't be so quick to take offense. The milk tariff is a large figure (percentage wise) which makes for splashy news and quite possibly just a smoke screen. Naturally, Trudeau pushed the national pride button to stoke up support and some Canadians were going to be offended regardless. Focus on the bigger picture. Trump wants to improve trade balances and playing softball will accomplish nothing after decades of weak U.S. negotiating.

It is inexcusable to make derogatory comments about service and sacrifice made by Canadians just to score points in a debate.

I've the pleasure of knowing many Canadians, and by and large liked them all. But we need to look to OUR interests, not theirs. Good fences make good neighbors.

I'll tell you what. When it comes to pretty women I think they got us hands down. By far the most beautiful women in numbers I've seen of any country I've ever visited, and I've been to a few. .

Here's a litmus test: Lets just pretend the Chinese Military decided to invade Canada for not being allowed total access to your oil reserves.

Who do you think will be the first ones to join up with you to stomp on their fortune cookies?

Pics Please!

Yeah...that's Scott. He's a dick.

That's mighty neighborly! If I ever get down that way I'll look you up.

Yep, Justin rose to the bait like a true sucker fish.

You would be welcome to stop by west Texas also and give the coyotes and jack rabbits a go.

Canada is like a family member or another state in the US. We may not get along all the time, even fight like cats and dogs but if someone was to invade it we would protect it with all our might.

I see it like this to

So the fact that Canada allows their internal political squabbles to hurt US trade is just something that we should put up with? Maybe I'm more selfish than our neighbors to the north, but if my neighbor damages something of mine because he's having an argument with his wife, I'm going to expect him to make it right to me, his motivations for why he did it are his business and none of my concern, my concern would be only what effect it has on me.

Thanks for the hospitality. A tour of the south is on my bucket list one of these years. Time and money always a factor. If it ever happens I'd definitely swing by for that.

We have got the tariff list

Notice of intent to impose countermeasures action against the United States in response to tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum products

tariff list

Inflatable boats, felt pens and beer kegs: Here's what Canada targeted with tariffs, and why

why

Do you have any doubts? Seriously?

Who would the US side with over Canada?

I get it, Canaucks don't always enjoy living next to an 800 pound gorilla. We do keep Latin America from invading your borders. How about some thanks for that.

Fair trade means fair trade, not lopsided tariffs, and it and has nothing to do with feelings or politics and everything to do with economics.

Understood. We had Obama. Like was mentioned, the OP seemd aimed at the President in the same fashion that our Leftest press does using any attempt to embarrass him. If you find these waters a little tepid, it just might be because the "Country folk" in these parts like a guy that will fight for them and have had enough of the partisan attacks.

I'm not totally up to speed with whats going on in this trade/tariff business, but from what I've see Trump is out to get the best deals be can for the USA. I have no problem with that, as it's quite literally his job to do so. I do think Canada may take a bit of a beating on this, but if our politicians can't do their job well and get good deals for Canada, one can't very well blame Trump for doing what he thinks is in his countries best interest. Seems to me most people would be quite happy if their leader went out and negotiated good deals for their country, I know I certainly would, although as long as the shiny pony is in power I won't be holding my breathe...

I've talked to quite a few people about Trump, and overheard many more conversations. I am finding that the younger crowd is much more favorable in their opinion of Trump than many of the older folks. I think partly that's because older folks still get all their information from msm sources, and there is no conservative msm voice in Canada to speak of. So, everything they hear about Trump has a strong negative bias, and to hear anything different you have to actually go out of your way to try and find it.

The younger folks might run into some more varied opinions on their various forms of social media, and also see his tweets. The younger generation of males tends to find him quite amusing, and therefore they can't help but start to like him. I think there's a lot more going on than that, having to do with Trump being an alpha type and young men being drawn to that example, so sorely lacking in our own leadership, but media definitely plays a role.

Trudeau was the biggest mistake Canadians ever made. The Libs recently plowed a bunch of money into Quebec 3 days before a by-election in a stronghold seat for the, Quebec is notorious for being able to be bought off.

Yet the Libs were STILL defeated by a landslide.


I believe Trudeau will be a one term government, and I also believe the Liberal party will be smashed to smithereens and sanity will return to our country.

Let's hope it is a one term gov't. We have quite a mess to fix. Young voter's still like this guy .

We need "like" button.

I would suggest Trump has quite a good understanding of the Canadian market and issues. He simply has no stomach for handwringing, spoon-feeding and backslapping. There’s a method to his madness. It astounds me that people haven’t figured that out yet. He’s crass and to the point. Gets throngs off center and discussions started. Seems to be working quite well to this point.

I love western and central Canada. Feel sorry for the folks in flyover country that are ignored and enslaved by the government.

So i dont have to read the entire thread Comrade, just what exactly is it you are so proud about, since i see no mention in your initial post remotely referring to anything in particular to be proud of?

You guys better watch it, or I might just have to come down there and say "sorry"

Haha!

Check and mate!

Why is Trump fuucking with Canada?

Steel ,Aluminum, and Auto manufacturing .

Trump wants those jobs BACK in the US. And in the lst 90 days the Steel and Aluminum jobs ARE coming back.

Canada places an average 45 PERCENT tarriff on those goods fron the US.

The US? Less than 10% from Canada.

Trumo also wants to break up and renegotiate NAFTA which has been a disaster for our MFG base.

Let soyboy Trudeau create his own jobs without poaching off of ours.

the high tariffs help canada pay for socialism, not cheap

I'm no economist and probably have a limited understanding of all of the tariffs and subsidies involved between the countries. So, as an observation, if the various agreements between the countries are so much against US interests it would seem that your beef should be with your government representatives for entering into such bad agreements. Should we be sorry if we are better negotiators?

Jim

Haha!

Canada is not a better negotiator.

In fact, the US does not do much negotiating.

As long as we get what we want....which is a strong military industrial complex....we dont really care what the other guy wants.


The Aussies got to import rotting water buffalo and call it beef......so we could park nuclear ships on her shore.

Someone that actually gets it, but then again, you always have.

lol

No need to be sorry that 29 years ago globalist weasles like Bill Clinton and George W. Bush gave you socialists everything you need to prop up your weak economy.

NAFTA is now dead.

You Canucks are going to have to build your job base off of something other than the US consumer..

I hope for your sake you are correct.

Are there term limits in your land?

Trade between the two countries is around $600 billion a year. Some years the balance of trade is in favor of the US and some it's in favor of Canada. In recent years, it's not been a large amount - less than 5%, so I'm not sure what anyone's getting so cranked up about.

In terms of dairy, the US and Canada have slightly different models for interfering with the market that at least nominally have the effect of stabilizing production and market fluctuations. In the US, it's with direct subsidies to the industry. In Canada, it's with a quota system. The US system results in lower prices for consumers. Canadian consumers would benefit from imported US government subsidized US dairy products, but their own agricultural security would be compromised.

Trump picked the dairy issue because he thought it would be an easy way to sell the idea that there are unfair trade practices against US businesses and gain domestic support for a trade war in the belief it will put pressure to get the 'deal' on NAFTA that he wants. It sounds like the Canadian Government is going to retaliate, with Trump threatening to broaden the tariffs should that happen. It could get messy and many jobs will be lost on both sides of the border while simultaneously prices will rise for consumers (those who still have jobs at least). It looks to be a lose/lose game being played by both sides.

I don't blame Canada for wanting to protect a food source.

Would be nice if everything did not cost so much up there.

Actually he set up , first on the shores of Bennett Lake , then moved to Carcross and finally into Whitehorse. He supplied services in demand . No harm, no foul.

And just for clarity I like Trump. I respect a leader who will stand up and clearly state his job is to represent his country.

I’ve said more than once I cannot think of another country I would rather share borders with

.... arent you numbnuts still subjects of the queen ?

Strike "are" and insert "were" - and I might agree.

Actually there is NOT term limits. If Trudeau gets even one more term, it will mean the ruination of Canada.


With any luck, a terrorist attack in Toronto will wake people up as to what the FCK is really going on in the world and we will boot his ass out.

Canada is not one culture. Western Canadians are VERY different than Eastern Canadians, rural are very different than urban.

It’s Trudeau the posturing fool who really fouled this up for Canada.

http://torontosun.com/opinion/colum...ve-avoided-u-s-tariffs-on-steel-aluminum

Canadian steel is not a security threat to the United States and Canada could have avoided the tariffs on it and aluminum. Those were the two big pieces of news as a top Trump official appeared on Capitol Hill, unfortunately, most Canadian media only focused on one storyline.

Wilbur Ross, Donald Trump’s commerce secretary was appearing before the Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday.

Ross was repeatedly asked why a national security designation was applied to Canadian steel by Sen. Michael Bennet, a Democrat from Colorado.

“The Canadian steel industry is not being accused of directly and individually being a security threat,” Ross said in response to Bennet.

But, added Ross, Canadian steel was a problem along with other countries in the aggregate, while we allowed Chinese steel to pass through our country on the way to the United States.

The Americans have long complained about something called “transshipment.” That is the practice of Chinese steel being shipped to a country, such as Canada, and then re-exported, sometimes with little to no change in the product, to the United States.

Essentially, some companies try to pass off Chinese steel as duty-free Canadian steel. Or Mexican steel, or European steel. The Americans say this has happened from many countries as China sells at below-market rates to keep its steel plants going.

It’s the type of thing that the steelworkers in my hometown of Hamilton used to call dumping. Produce more than you can sell and then just flood the market.

Except now China uses us as a go-between. The Americans asked us to stop in April 2017 and we didn’t.

“The only way we’re going to solve the global steel overproduction and overcapacity is by getting all the other countries to play ball with us,” Ross said on Wednesday.

“And while they’re complaining bitterly about the tariffs, the fact is they’re starting to take the kind of action, which, if they had taken sooner, would have prevented this crisis.”

Did you catch that?

If we had stopped this sooner, we could have avoided the tariffs.

Why wouldn’t we have stopped this?

It’s not like allowing it to keep going was about protecting Canadian steelworkers, it protects Chinese steelworkers.

Instead, despite a year warning, the Trudeau government didn’t move on what is dubbed country-of -origin labelling until May 30, 2018.

That was the day before the Americans invoked the tariffs.

Earlier this week, Conservative Foreign Affairs critic Erin O’Toole quizzed Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland about this very issue.

Why did we wait so long he wanted to know?

Freeland said at committee that the government acted early and took the issue seriously but never answered why they waited until the last hours to deal with the issue of Chinese steel being dumped into Canada and sold to the Americans as Canadian product.

O’Toole told me that the Trudeau government could have dealt with this easily and quickly but had other priorities.

“Not only was this not on their agenda,” O’Toole said of Trudeau’s government, “His major foreign policy goal was a free-trade agreement with China.”

Trudeau’s love of China’s basic dictatorship is well-documented, I could quote him on that, but our main trading partner remains the United States.

While the PM should be focused on getting a deal with Trump, O’Toole says the PM’s priorities are elsewhere.

“You don’t have to like the person on the other side of the table but you have to find common interests,” O’Toole said. “Too often he has tried to contrast himself with the administration rather than try to find common ground.”

Justin Trudeau hasn’t done that.

So now we have millions of Canadian jobs on the line because the PM was worried about sealing a deal with China rather than securing the deal we have with our biggest trading partner.

Trudeau had options and in choosing the path he did, he put the livelihoods of millions of Canadians on the line all for his own vanity and love of a basic dictatorship.

In terms of Canadian imports of steel, the US makes up 59% of it while China makes up 9%. This doesn't count domestic Canadian production at all. Thus, it's much more likely that the US will get it's own steel back than anything from China.

Personally, I've always imported US steel to Canada for my knife making. I doubt China would ever have the quality I look for, although Hitachi makes some good steel in Japan.