If Donald Trump’s first term was a comedy of errors, this one is already a horror show with a supporting cast of villains and Canada as an intended victim. The U.S. president made a rash of dangerous promises to get elected and just nine weeks in he is stalking his northern neighbour with a vengeance. …The hubris here is breathtaking. A century-and-a-half of proximate friendship and mutual dependence is in danger of evaporating. …The U.S. does need Canadian lumber. Canada is one of the world’s largest producers and exporters of softwood lumber. In 2023, the U.S. imported 28.1 million cubic meters of softwood lumber from Canada – 30% of its supply – primarily for residential and commercial construction. Other sources such as Germany and Sweden can’t hope to match Canadian output. …The U.S. does need Canadian oil. …The U.S. does need Canadian natural gas. …The U.S. doesn’t need Canadian automobiles per se but it does need Canadian automakers.
Additional coverage in Prince George Daily News, by Peter Ewart: Which way Canada in the face of US tariffs?