by Mary Scianna, edtior, Shop Metalworking Technology Magazine
As Donald Trump gears up to become the 45th president of the US, many Canadians are nervous about how his policies over the next four years will impact the Canadian economy.
There has been much written and talked about when it comes to Canada and Donald Trump, but the truth is we won’t know for sure what impact Trump’s US administration will have on Canada until president-elect Trump actually moves forward with his promises to rip up free trade agreements, implement border taxes on foreign imports into the US and tighten immigration rules.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his government recognize they may face challenges dealing with a very different US government from the one they’ve dealt with for the past eight years. Indeed part of the reason Prime Minister Trudeau made the recent shift in cabinet was to ensure the right people are in place to negotiate with US policitians on behalf of Canadians.
Whether the right Canadian politicians are in place to handle Trump remains to be seen, but one thing is certain, when it comes to ngeotiating trade policies, you need a certain kind of person to deal with someone like Trump. Essentially, you need a confident individual who thorougly understands trade issues that can look beyond Trump’s bullying tactics and stand their ground on policy positions. Let’s hope that Chrystia Freeland, Trudeau’s recent appointment to Foreign Affairs who will retain the lead on Canada-US trade relations, is the right choice to handle Trump.
