The Tarriff Hype.

[Ron in Regina]

Republican senator warns Carney: Closer ties to EU hurts chance of trade deal with U.S. — CBC News

A long-serving Republican senator from a border state is warning Prime Minister Mark Carney against strengthening Canada's economic and political ties to the European Union.

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Carney heads to Europe aiming to build 'unique alliance' with EU — Global News

Prime Minister Mark Carney is en route to France with the goal of forging a "unique alliance" with the European Union (EU). David Akin explains what that could mean for Canada, and how it appears the feeling is mutual for the EU.

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The Wall Street Journal’s report, published Sunday, that Canada is pursuing “associate membership” in the European Union, and that the EU is “open to the idea,” was a fine piece of journalism with a lot of resources behind it. It cited officials, albeit mostly anonymous, “from a dozen different governments involved in … conversations” to back up the story.

Those dozen governments’ officials mentioned everything from “frictionless” trade in goods and services to allowing Canadians to work in Europe without a visa — and, presumably, vice versa. You might reasonably call such an agreement “associate membership,” though that’s not a category that currently exists. Helpfully for the Liberals, it could mean anything (or nothing?).

Chris Selley: Carney's EU cuteness is an unwelcome return to Justin Trudeau's playbook — National Post

If Iceland doesn't want into the EU, there's no reason to believe Canadians would support it

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Last Saturday, a 5,000-word Wall Street Journal exclusive gave us a hint at what might be coming. The reporting claimed that the prime minister has spent months using his extensive European Rolodex and connections to push for deeper relations with the EU. According to the Journal, Carney even “suggested Canada take on a new title: Associate Member of the European Union.” Government sources challenged the story later in the day, saying the reporting “overstated” what is being discussed.

Ben Woodfinden: The EU is an economic disaster. What exactly is Mark Carney after? — National Post

Canada doesn't need to change its status to trade more with Europe

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We cannot delude ourselves into thinking we will ever be able to entirely detach ourselves from America, as that’s never going to happen. It will likely remain our biggest trading partner and most important security partner, yet we must lessen our dependence on a much less reliable and volatile United States no matter who succeeds Donald Trump as president. A president who muses about annexation and slaps tariffs on his closest ally and biggest trading partner isn’t just an aberration, he is himself a symptom of an America that has changed.

Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine — facing a re-election battle in November's midterms in a state highly dependent on cross-border trade — says it's unfortunate that Canada is turning toward the EU in response to U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs. "That doesn't help rebuild the good relationship that we once had and that I want us to have again," Collins told CBC News correspondent Katie Simpson at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday.

Collins's comments come amid growing signs of unease among some Republicans in the U.S. Congress over Trump's trade tactics toward Canada, particularly as the Nov. 3 midterm elections grow nearer. The Republicans hold narrow majorities in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate and stand to lose control of Congress if the Democrats can flip a handful of districts or states, and the Senate is currently viewed as a tight toss-up or slight lean away from a Republican majority depending on the forecast.

It used to be that the Democrats were the tariff/protectionist party, & the Republicans where the open for business party, but shit switches eventually like with Democrats and Jim Crow laws…& then trying to point the finger at the Republicans over those decades later, etc…