What export tariffs should Canada impose on the US?
My proposals:
1. A 25% tariff on Canadian steel exports to the US. The US clearly doesn't want our steel anyway and, if they must pay a tariff, I'd rather they pay it to the Canadian and not the US government, or at least to both governments equally.
2. A 10% tariff on Canadian aluminium exports to the US for the same reason as above.
3. A 1/3 tariff on Canadian exports to the US that harm health or the environment, which could include alcohol, tobacco, animal products and byproducts, and nonrenewable resources.
Such an attack by Canada alone would impose minimal pain on the US economy. Should Mexico, the EU, China, and others all follow in a coordinated effort, then US residents could soon find the cost of meat, alcohol, tobacco, and gas and other non-renewable resources spike in price at least until US producers pick up the pace, which would inevitably take at least one and maybe even two years. At the same time, it would bring the cost of alcohol, meat, tobacco, and other such products down in price in Canada and other countries at least until our industries reduce production, which again could take one or two years.
Even once the US economy adapts to this new reality, its tobacco, alcohol, meat, and non-renewable resource production would have increased at the expense of other industries. And given how the trend is for governments to gradually pass ever tougher laws against these products over time means that the US would inherit more vulnerable industries in this trade war while we would have inherited more desirable ones.
My proposals:
1. A 25% tariff on Canadian steel exports to the US. The US clearly doesn't want our steel anyway and, if they must pay a tariff, I'd rather they pay it to the Canadian and not the US government, or at least to both governments equally.
2. A 10% tariff on Canadian aluminium exports to the US for the same reason as above.
3. A 1/3 tariff on Canadian exports to the US that harm health or the environment, which could include alcohol, tobacco, animal products and byproducts, and nonrenewable resources.
Such an attack by Canada alone would impose minimal pain on the US economy. Should Mexico, the EU, China, and others all follow in a coordinated effort, then US residents could soon find the cost of meat, alcohol, tobacco, and gas and other non-renewable resources spike in price at least until US producers pick up the pace, which would inevitably take at least one and maybe even two years. At the same time, it would bring the cost of alcohol, meat, tobacco, and other such products down in price in Canada and other countries at least until our industries reduce production, which again could take one or two years.
Even once the US economy adapts to this new reality, its tobacco, alcohol, meat, and non-renewable resource production would have increased at the expense of other industries. And given how the trend is for governments to gradually pass ever tougher laws against these products over time means that the US would inherit more vulnerable industries in this trade war while we would have inherited more desirable ones.
