Despite the at times erratic nature of Donald Trump, the American administration has been upfront about some things. Like their concern with China and the dumping of steel.
While Canadian politicians walk around and huff about it being insulting that we are considered a national security threat to the Americans, the Americans have been upfront in explaining this. Their are worried about China and not us.
So why are we subject to tariffs on national security grounds if they are worried more about Beijing than Ottawa?
Because China ships products like steel, vital for national defence, to the United States through countries like Canada. And Mexico. And many European countries.
Chinese steel passed off as Canadian.
This steel is sent to Canada, sometimes barely processed at all and then “exported” from Canada to the United States as Canadian steel. Except it isn’t.
It is a practice called transshipment and the Americans have told us they are concerned about it for more than a year now. They want it stopped and we have dragged our heels.
As I explain in my latest column for the Toronto Sun, the Trudeau government failed to act.
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.
It is a real puzzle to me. Is it because of Trudeau’s admiration for China’s basic dictatorship and his push to get a trade deal with China? Well, probably the latter, we can debate the former.
I’ve talked to economists and trade experts who debate the size and scope of the transshipment problem. Some think it is minor, some say it is there but overstated. Even so, if the market you send more than 75% of your exports to says this is a problem and it needs to stop or else……you stop it.
We could have avoided the tariffs.
Trump’s Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross told the Senate Finance Committee in Washington that it was only with the tariffs that Canada and other countries began to act. Ross actually said we could have avoided the tariffs if we had acted sooner.
Why we didn’t act sooner is a mystery to me.
Conservative Foreign Affairs Critic Erin O’Toole asked our Foreign Affairs Minister about this very issue the day before Ross made his comments. Chrystia Freeland didn’t give O’Toole an answer, she ran the clock out on his time at committee as she discussed all the great conversations that were had. She never said why action wasn’t taken sooner.
The Liberals and their allies in the media have been demanding that everyone rally to the flag for Canada in this trade war with the U.S. Most Canadians are fine with that but I do wonder why Trudeau didn’t rally for Canadian workers.
He had a chance to put Canadian workers first and put a stop to shady practices by China. He chose not to.
Perhaps it is time for the PM to stand for Canadians.
And so the USA didn’t TARGET Canada its closest ally but the 3 players combined through which China was dumping steel AND who had not come to a trade deal over the matter. The USA had exempted Canada, Mexico and the EU from the tariffs back in March, hoping a deal could be worked out.
“Australia, Brazil and South Korea (KORUS) have completed trade agreements with the U.S. and will remain exempt from any countervailing steel and aluminum duty.”
As soon as the USA applied the tariffs on steel and aluminum on the three Amigos, Canada’s newest bestest Amigo the EU said they would follow in Trump;s footsteps cuz they were afraid that they would be stuck with all that steel that was being dumped on the USA. “Malmstrom indicated that the third part of the EU response would be to initiate safeguard investigations of steel and aluminum that could quickly result in European trade restrictions that copy Trump’s. “
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trade-eu-malmstrom/eu-says-first-steel-safeguard-measures-could-come-in-july-idUSKCN1J01Z6
Since May 31, Trudeau & Freeland keep calling the USA tariffs insulting, illegal & call Trump incompetent, dishonest and a threat to freedom and democracy by undermining the globalist world order with his tariffs. Freeland even compared him to Hitler and Trump voters to Hitler’s supporters.
I think the reason he didn’t act is because the CCP has infiltrated every level of the Canadian government. The federal liberals have been in bed with the CCP since the Chretien years. This isn’t just about ignorance, there is something much more sinister going on here.
and if anybody disputes that claim just look up the RATTLESNAKE investigations by the RCMP into Chinese involvement in Canadian politics. Chretien shut it down because everything was starting to point right back at him!!
I found your comment ran out the clock referring to Freeland’s non answer to a perfectly legitimate question the norm not the exception. It is just about time to bring out the nasty language. We are way to concerned with decorum. Time to bring out “answer the f_____g question”. It will cause a rucus but the press will be well worth it. Must be well orchestrated.
While Trudeau and his equally sophomoric team can be faulted for preferring non existent trade with Mexico over a bilateral trade deal with the US; an early emphasis on social justice issues and other irrelevant issues over Canada’s actual trade interests; and, for showing more concern for any trade relationship including China other than our most important one with the US, Trump’s protectionism, whether a tactic or goal is a risky game. If by some miracle of Canadian ingenuity, we shipped every single tonne imported from China into the US under the cover of NAFTA, it would amount to less than 1% of US steel consumption. Meanwhile, Trump’s tariff volleys at China have resulted in a big new market for Canadian Soybeans at the expense of his Mid West base. One can’t help wonder whether China will demand chain of custody to ensure no American Soybeans and other Canadian Ag exports originate in the US. This is a painful and dangerous path for consumers and producers of all nations.
“…Perhaps it is time for the PM to stand for Canadians.” ?
No, Prime Minister Castreau is not loyal to Canada. It’s time for him to emigrate to China.
Now I know you’re not stupid, so when you ask the question of “Why”, I know that you know the answer.
And the answer we both know, and know that we both know, is “Money”.
Liberal party grandees made a whole shit-load of money off this scam and the the real question is not “Why” it is “Who”.
But we know the answer to that too, don’t we?
“…Perhaps it is time for the PM to stand for Canadians.”
No, too late for that. Prime Minister Castreau is not loyal to Canada. It’s time for him to resign and emigrate to China.
It’s time J.T. is led out the back servant’s door to the HOC, to a waiting BUS!… never to be heard from again.
The Trudeau government never acts soon enough to do the right thing for Canada but plows ahead with nation killing policies and legislation on the presumption the CBC, George Soros and all the other foreign meddlers will be able to re-install him in the PMO in 2019 with a liberal majority. Future generations will look back on this PM with laughter if only he is a single term prime minister. If he is installed for a second term or third term, the long term damage will not have those future generations laughing but reaching often and deep into their pocket books to pay for the satanically inspired destruction Justin Trudeau is guilty of.
Chinese substandard steel debacle in Victoria BC – Johnson Sreet bridge is a hard way to learn
Perhaps it is time for the PM to stand for Canadians.
NEVER IN A MILLION YEARS BRIAN OR ELSE HE WOULD HAVE KEPT OUR JOBS AND CANADIANS WORKERS IN CANADA INSTEAD OF CHASING THEM INTO THE ARMS OF USA AND INTO OTHER COUNTRIES WHERE THE GRASS IS GREENER(ACCESSIBLE) EASIER TO WORK.
You can see the writings on the walls>you just can’t miss it. Justin is catering to China and by so, is, by getting rid of Canadian jobs and it’s workers. Are we surprised at any thing Justin Trudeau is doing to Canada?
When things gets worse in Canada, the Chinese steel which is process in Canada, will leave for USA. On the hand, the Chinese can control Justin Trudeau from his long list of restrictions. Strange, that the general Trdeau’s loving media have not mentioned this all.
At the FP, Kevin Carmichael writes: “Remarkably, Canada is about to join a trade war it can’t win, without any public debate over whether there was another option.” Other countries took action to satisfy the US on the steel dumping problem. Not Canada. Team Trudeau are globalist lefties afflicted with a severe case of TDS (Trump Derangement Syndrome).
So the world’s first “post national ” nation is now fiercely nationalistic & protectionist? What a damn joke.