
Canada’s Finance Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne
Canada’s Finance Chief Says Tariffs Are Likely to Stick as US Talks Grind On
Canada’s finance minister signaled that any trade deal with the US is likely to include at least some tariffs, and repeated that the country’s dairy and poultry protections won’t be on the table during negotiations.
“There’s not evidence to suggest that you can have a trade deal with the US without tariffs,” Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne said Thursday in an interview with Bloomberg Television.
The comments underscore a shift in expectations within Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government. Until recently, Canada’s stated goal was to try to get all of US President Donald Trump’s tariffs removed. Now, the focus appears to have shifted to reducing tariff levels and carving out as many exceptions as possible.
So far, the government has responded to many of Trump’s key grievances about Canada. Carney’s administration suspended its digital service tax targeted at technology firms and boosted spending for its military and border control.
Still, the country currently faces levies on its auto, steel and aluminum exports, and Trump has threatened a 35% rate on some other goods by Aug. 1 unless there’s a negotiated deal. Carney said this week he expects those talks will “intensify” as the date draws nearer.
“We are in a world where, there’ll be some form, sadly, of trade restrictions that have been put in place and some level of tariffs,” Champagne said during the interview in South Africa, where he’s attending Group of 20 meetings.
“From our perspective, for us, we are going to double down to make sure that we can get the best possible deal,” he added.

Carney has repeatedly said that the country’s protections on dairy and other agricultural sectors — which place limits on the amount of tariff-free imports from US producers — are non-negotiable. The system is known as supply management.
“We’ve been clear from the get go that supply management is off the table,” Champagne said.
The Canadian economy is one of the word’s most vulnerable to Trump’s trade policy due to its heavy reliance with its southern neighbor, where about three-quarters of its goods exports were shipped last year.
At the same time, Champagne says he’s regularly communicating that Canada is a major consumer of US products too — buying $440 billion of goods and services last year.
“I remind our American friends, always, that we are the largest customer in the US,” he said.
In recent months, Carney’s government has increased its efforts to build stronger trade ties with European and Asian allies.
EU Is Nothing Burger
Realistically speaking, European Union is no help to Canada’s economy as they themselves are in the same boat, and worst of all, Canada got nothing much to export to the EU vice versa.
Asian Allies?
What about our good old “Asian Allies”, NOPE… We don’t think so. Canada doesn’t really have an “Asian Ally” to begin with.
No “Asian Ally” could help us except only for China. Yet, the dimwitted Carney Regime is still trying to project as if Canada is a superpower that China can’t live without constantly antagonizes the Dragon.
Hikvision Ban: A stupid move by Mark Carney that won’t appease Uncle Sam to relieve the Trump Tariffs, but will cause Canada to be annihilated ruthlessly and unnecessarily

China is strongly opposed to Canada’s new tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles (EVs) and has warned of potential retaliation. Here’s a breakdown of China’s reaction and what it might do next:
1. China’s Immediate Response: Anger & Condemnation
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“Protectionist & Discriminatory”: China’s Commerce Ministry has already criticized Canada’s tariffs (matching U.S. 100% duties) as unfair and violating WTO rules.
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“Politically Motivated”: Chinese state media argues Canada is blindly following the U.S. in a “containment strategy” against China’s EV industry.
2. Likely Chinese Retaliation
China rarely lets tariffs go unanswered. Possible countermeasures include:
A. Trade Retaliation
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Targeted Tariffs on Canadian exports like:
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Canola (China previously blocked imports in 2019 during Huawei tensions).
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Pork/Beef (a major Canadian export to China).
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Potash/Lumber (key Canadian industries).
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Customs Delays: Sudden “inspections” that disrupt Canadian shipments.
B. Investment & Economic Pressure
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Restricting Chinese Investment in Canadian mining (lithium, nickel, uranium).
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Blocking Canadian Firms from Chinese markets (e.g., financial services, aerospace).
C. Diplomatic & Political Signals
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Freezing High-Level Talks: China may cancel or postpone trade discussions.
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Wolf Warrior Rhetoric: Harsher statements from Chinese officials/media.
3. Long-Term Consequences for Canada
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Lost Market Access: China is Canada’s 2nd-largest trading partner (~$100B/year). If tensions escalate, sectors like agriculture and energy suffer.
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Supply Chain Disruptions: Canadian critical mineral firms (e.g., lithium for EVs) rely on Chinese processing.
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U.S. Pressure vs. China Dependence: Canada is caught between aligning with the U.S. and avoiding economic blowback from China.
4. Will China Escalate Further?
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If Canada expands tariffs (e.g., to batteries, solar panels), expect stronger retaliation.
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If the U.S. pushes more anti-China policies, Canada could face collateral damage in a wider trade war.
Bottom Line
China will retaliate, likely starting with agricultural tariffs and investment restrictions. Canada must weigh U.S. alliance loyalty against economic risks.
Thanks to the incompetent Carney Regime,
1 in 5 single adults in Canada live in poverty, many of whom are food insecure: report




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