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“ There are only two countries worldwide that really dare to impose retaliatory tariffs on the United States.In October, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, in an interview with Bloomberg in Toronto, was unusually tough.
When the host repeatedly asked him whether he was too weak in front of Trump, Carney directly responded, emphasizing that Canada is not being pushed around. He did not name who the other country that "dared to raise taxes," but the US media quickly added: China. Behind this counterattack, It is a picture of the continued cooling relations between the United States and Canada and the struggle of Canada to maintain its independence and dignity.。
In the past, Canada was one of the closest allies of the United States. But after Trump returned to politics, the wind direction of Canada-US relations began to change.
Carney admitted that the United States has No longer the "friend you can rely onThe new reality is trade tensions, policy disconnectivity, and a decline in trust, and these changes have been translated from diplomatic language to policy action.
The most typical example is the digital service tax. The original purpose of this tax policy, originally planned to be implemented from July, was to collect untaxed profits generated in Canada by large U.S. technology companies, including Meta and Amazon. Policy has completed all legislative preparations, But it was suddenly revoked on the last day before it took effect.
And the pressure behind it came from the Trump administration, and Trump said directly on the phone that if you are determined to push this tax, don't talk about zero tariffs."A senior adviser to the Canadian Treasury Department revealed to Global Post in an anonymous context.
The outside world was shocked. The Canadian media showed no mercy, It is called “Low Head”.”。Faced with doubts, Carney was unwilling to admit surrender, but changed his words. "This is a rational decision.With the abolition of the digital service tax, we got zero tariff confirmation from the U.S. within a few weeks.”
His words are beautiful, but the cost is obvious – the yield of policy sovereignty has sparked domestic politics.The Bloomberg host is more rude, “Did you learn from Trump to ‘perform politics’?” refers to Carney’s dedicated TV speech when he announced the abolition of the digital tax. , as if copying the scene when Trump signed the executive order.
Carney denies the claim, “I am not imitating who. In times of high uncertainty and high pressure, clear speech is the responsibility of the government.
And he does do things, and the data doesn't lie. From 2024 to mid-2025, the proportion of Canada's exports to the United States will decline from 78% to 68%. This shows that Canada is consciously reducing its dependence on the US market, and companies are beginning to look for alternative markets.
In July, the federal government of Canada set up the National Strategic Response Fund, totaling up to $5 billion, to support the country’s industries impacted by U.S. trade changes. This money flows to strategic areas such as manufacturing, energy, agricultural processing, and transformation of enterprises.
In addition, Canada also passed the Economic Integration Act in June, which aims directly to break down domestic inter-provincial trade barriers, integrate the national economic system and enhance the ability of the internal market to hedge external risks, Carney said: “We can give ourselves far more than the United States can take away from us.”
However, the real test does not come from within, but from a direct confrontation with Trump. October 8, White House. Carney held his second face-to-face meeting with Trump since he took office. The closed-door consultation, which lasted for two and a half hours, was widely interpreted by the media as an ice-breaking signal. However, the ending is still unsatisfactory.
After the meeting, Trump directly told the media,"Reach a comprehensive zero-tariff agreement with Canada? Impossible." He said that the United States would prefer to fully replace Canadian supplies with domestic automobile and steel industry products.
What's more provocative is that, In his conversation, he once again mentioned "the incorporation of Canada into the United States."When Carney mentioned some of Trump’s “accomplishments” in diplomacy, Trump insisted: “There is a Canadian merger.”
If the federal government is stillining balance, Canada is increasingly impatient.Governor of Ontario, Ford, publicly said on 7th that Canada should consider initiating retaliatory tariffs if Washington continues to hard and uncompromising on tariffs. "We've waited too long," he said.
At present, the Canadian government's strategy towards the United States has gradually turned to "two-handed preparation": on the one hand, it strives to maintain a negotiation window with the United States on trade, and on the other hand, it starts to accelerate the reshaping of internal policies. This dual-track thinking may be the realistic adjustment that Canada had to make in the Trump era.
Canada has no retreat, it can neither go too far and anger the United States, its largest trading partner; And it can’t go too close and become completely “economic addiction.”And Carney is looking for a balance in this difficult situation.
At present, the digital service tax has been withdrawn, but sovereignty anxiety still exists; Trade negotiations are still going on, but trust has long been thinned. What Canada wants is not just "being liked by the United States", but "saying no to the United States with confidence". This battle may have just begun.
References:
"Summary | Canada cancels digital service tax and restarts trade negotiations with the United States" July 1, 2025 Source: Xinhuanet
"Trump's meeting with Carney is still" obsessed "with Canada" October 8, 2025 Source: Xinhuanet