Deal Or No Deal: No Deal Edition

Canada isn't going to get a fair and lasting deal from Donald Trump. As Lao Tzu said: You gotta know when to fold 'em.

What do you think is those containers? I hope it’s chips. Photo by Kyle Ryan on Unsplash

If you’re thinking of placing a bet on a trade deal between Canada and the United States, don’t. Predicting the outcome of bargaining with Donald Trump is like trying to guess the output of a random number generator, if the random number generator were also demented.

Canadians care about a deal with the US, at least as part of a broader concern about tariffs and Canada-US relations. It’s hard not to care. While Prime Minister Mark Carney and his ministry are trying to simultaneously diversify the country’s trade relationships and build more coherent and cohesive internal trade practices, the Yankees remain the top foreign destination for goods and services to the tune of roughly a trillion dollars each year. And you know what they say, a trillion here, a trillion there, and soon you’re talking about real money.