Carney says “the U.S. has changed,” but for years Canada has run one of the most protected dairy markets in the G7, with strong trade barriers and tariffs that can jump into the 250–300% range on U.S. milk, cheese and butter once quotas are passed.
President Trump (@realDonaldTrump) put it bluntly: “Canada charges the U.S. a 270% tariff on Dairy Products!
They didn’t tell you that, did they? Not fair to our farmers!” When he finally pushed back, he was confronting a long record of Canadian protectionism, not walking away from the alliance.
Not the U.S. that changed
What really changed was that Washington stopped pretending Ottawa’s hands were clean.
Canada’s supply‑management system, over‑quota tariffs, “buy Canadian” procurement rules and other barriers have been choking off American exports for decades.
Charles Spurgeon once said that when we see we are wrong, we should “desire to be set right” and “come to see the truth, embrace it, and earnestly and valiantly maintain it.”
That applies to trade too. It is not anti‑Canadian to say an ally should fix policies that unfairly punish its closest partner.
Friends, not free riders
Real friends do not hide behind 200–300% walls and then complain when the United States asks for reciprocity.
Canada still depends on U.S. defense, U.S. intelligence and U.S. markets, while some politicians score easy points by blaming Trump for tensions they helped create with their own trade choices.
Trump’s message was simple. If you want privileged access to the American market, you cannot keep treating U.S. farmers and manufacturers as if they are a problem to be fenced out.
Fair deals strengthen alliances. 🇺🇸🍁 #AmericaFirst #Canada #Trade
CMC, 4
Response to @allenanalysis [Replying to: https://x.com/allenanalysis/status/2048835044777787880]
