Donald Trump will be moving back into the White House in a little less than two months but he has already kicked over a hornet’s nest.
The president-elect announced last week that one of his first orders of business will be to impose 25 per cent tariffs on everything imported to the United States from Canada and Mexico.
The threat was framed as a warning to the two countries to tighten their borders, particularly when it comes to drugs and migrants.
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The news understandably sent shock waves through this country. The U.S. is Canada’s biggest trading partner, and sweeping tariffs of that size would have ramifications of almost unimaginable proportions.
Canadian oil producers and auto manufacturers would be significant casualties, but so would agriculture.
It’s hard to wrap one’s head around what would happen to the cattle, canola and oat sectors if such a thing were to happen, but Trump does have a record of doing what he says he will do.
Some observers, including the author of the opinion on the facing page of this issue, argue that such a move would also hurt American consumers and that Trump obviously isn’t interested in doing that.
Rather, they say, it is an attempt to force Canada and Mexico to yield to American dominance.
Be that as it may, Trump’s tariff threat has caused considerable consternation in Canada, and for good reason.
What are Canadian farmers to do with the troubling tariff prospect?
The best course of action is to take a deep breath and understand that this is only round one in what is expected to be a chaotic four-year boxing match with a much bigger and much more aggressive opponent.
Instead of focusing on every twist and turn, farmers should avoid the political distraction and focus on things they can control — activities that support the production of food as sustainably and profitably as possible.
That’s not to say the country should stand back and let disaster strike.
There is much that the government and industry leaders can do to manage what is likely to be only the first in a long string of challenges.
However, it will be absolutely necessary to take a Team Canada approach, similar to what the country did six years ago when the North American Free Trade Agreement was renegotiated during Trump’s first administration.
The federal and provincial governments, along with the most affected industries, worked together to minimize the potential damage that could have resulted from the new trade deal.
A similar approach is needed again, but cracks are already starting to appear in the united front, particularly after the premiers of Alberta and Ontario waded into the fray to either question the prime minister’s ability to deal with Trump or threaten retaliation. They also considered policy changes even before the prime minister and other premiers had a chance to meet.
Our leaders must get their act together — and quickly — to protect this country during the next four years.
Canada should also try to eliminate as many potential Trump irritants as possible, where expedient — whether those include the relationship with China, defence spending or border security.
What we will need most to navigate the activities of a new U.S. administration is patience — lots and lots of it.
Karen Briere, Bruce Dyck, Barb Glen, Michael Robin, Robin Booker and Laura Rance collaborate in the writing of Western Producer editorials.
