Trump Makes Change To Tariffs With Canada
Well, folks, buckle up, because we’ve got ourselves another round of high-stakes trade drama, and this time, President Donald Trump is turning up the heat on our neighbors to the north. Starting Friday, Trump is slapping a 35% tariff on Canadian goods—up from the already hefty 25%—and he’s not exactly doing it quietly.
Why? Because, according to the White House, Canada hasn’t been pulling its weight when it comes to stopping the flow of fentanyl and other illicit drugs pouring into the United States. And if there’s one thing Trump has made clear since day one, it’s this: don’t test him on national security and don’t test him on trade.
On Thursday, the president signed not one, but two executive orders—one to hike the Canadian tariff and another to tweak reciprocal tariffs for multiple countries. If that sounds like Trump doubling down on his “America First” trade policy, that’s because it is.
He’s been saying it for years: trade has to be “fair, balanced, and reciprocal,” and if it’s not, well, expect some tariffs. And these aren’t just empty threats. Back on April 2, Trump rolled out a 10% tariff across the board for all countries, ramped up even higher for those with big trade deficits with the U.S., and by April 9, those tariffs were in full effect.
Canada shouldn’t settle for anything less than the right deal. Now is not the time to roll over. We need to stand our ground.
The increase in U.S. tariffs to 35 per cent is concerning, especially with tariffs still in place on steel, aluminum, autos, forestry and now copper.…
— Doug Ford (@fordnation) July 31, 2025
And he’s been cutting deals, too—big ones. The European Union agreed to purchase $750 billion in U.S. energy and invest another $600 billion by 2028. Japan? They’re throwing in $550 billion to rebuild American industries and opening up their markets to more U.S. goods. All of them accepting a baseline 15% tariff as part of the deal. Meanwhile, countries like Syria, Myanmar, and Switzerland are facing even steeper tariffs—some north of 40%.
But Canada is the big story. Trump says the fentanyl crisis is partly fueled by Canadian “super labs” allegedly producing 44 to 66 pounds of the deadly drug a week, with Mexican cartels running operations out of Canadian territory. U.S. Customs reports 74 pounds of fentanyl have been seized at the northern border just this fiscal year. That’s a staggering number.
Canadian officials aren’t taking this lying down. Ontario Premier Doug Ford blasted Trump’s decision on X, urging Canada to fight back with its own tariffs—up to 50% on American steel and aluminum—while reminding everyone that Canada supplies the U.S. with oil, gas, critical minerals, and more. In his words: “We need to stand our ground.”
This is shaping up to be more than just a trade dispute—it’s a full-blown economic showdown with national security undertones. And Trump? He’s making it crystal clear that America’s days of tolerating one-sided trade relationships are over.