Trump Effect: How US Tariffs, “51st State” threat is shaken by Canada | Donald Trump News

Montreal, Canada – Even before he officially entered the White House last month to begin his second term as president of the United States, Donald Trump has repeatedly focused on an incredible goal: Canada.

Trump claims that his country's northern neighbor failed to pass irregular migration And drug trafficking at his border with the United States, and he threatened to impose steep tariffs on Canadian imports.

To abandon these measures that experts say about devastates the Canadian economyThe Republican leader then presented the idea: Canada can – and must – to become the 51st country in the United States.

“I think Canada would be much better to be a 51st country,” the US president repeated in an interview with Fox News, which was broadcasting over the weekend, continuing a pressure campaign that originally appeared in December.

Although the proposal was widely denied, Trump's comments – and His prolonged threat To collect 25 percent or higher tariffs of Canadian goods, including imports of steel and aluminum – have shaken unions, politicians and regular people in Canada.

Calls for a boycott of US products and stop traveling to the United States accumulate steam, along with a nationalist impetus to rethink the long -standing Reading of Canada from cross -border trade.

Leaders of large Canadian political parties, as well as provincial and territorial premieres, have used more coarse than the usual rhetoric against that of their country Top international allypromising to protect Canada's economic interests and sovereignty.

“To say that this is a unique moment would be an underestimation,” says Shachi Kurl, President of the Angus Reed Institute, an independent Canadian research firm.

The mood in Canada is currently one of the anxiety and fears on the one hand, and the challenge and anger on the other, Kurl explained.

For many, the feeling is that “Canada has not chosen this match, but if they make a blow, they will try to return one to the right,” she said.

“Trump's effect”

Trump's repeated threats against Canada are coming to a politically accused moment.

The country is up to date with the long-standing accessibility crisis, and the rising grocery prices and housing costs are nourishing more and more rhetoric against rhetoric against Prime Minister Justin TrudeauS

At the beginning of the year, Trudeau announced plans to withdraw after managing his liberal party chooses his heirS The new leader and prime minister will be elected in early March, ending nearly a decade of governments led by Trudeau in Ottawa.

The country is also preparing for federal elections to be held before the end of October.

Yet on this background, Rhetoric and Trump's proposals have become the main political issue in Canada, said Daniel Belen, professor at McGill University in Montreal and Director of the McGill Institute for the study of Canada.

“The most important factor in Canadian policy does not currently live in Canada – this is Donald Trump,” Belland told Al Jazeera.

Calling it the “effect of Trump”, the professor said that the “issue of voting” in the next Canadian election may turn out that the political party and leader are most appropriate to deal with the US president and relations with Canada and the United States.

This can effectively change the race, Belen said.

“The national crisis caused by Trump … It really changes the agenda and may also change the perception of what people think is necessary for the country at that moment and what leader they would like to have.”

Politicians take advantage of a wave of patriotism

In fact, some studies suggest that the Trump administration may be among the factors that change how Canadians plan to vote in the upcoming elections.

Opposition Conservative Party enjoyed a Commander, two -digit lead Over the unpopular liberals, led from labor to quite recently.

But with Prime Minister Canada Prime Minister, through the Trump Tariff threat and the liberal leadership race that stimulates interest in the party, the dial seems to be shifting.

Lead to the Tory over the liberals narrowed to nine percentage points, recent LEGER marketing exploration found.

The same poll found that conservative leader Pierre Pieriev and Mark CarneyThe former Canada bank governor, who is the presenter to take over for the next liberal leader, was the neck and neck in terms of the Canadians think they can best deal with Trump.

Twenty -two percent of the respondents said Poilievre is their preferred choice for management of relationships in Canada and the United States, compared to 20 percent that chose Carney.

Polyver is in a difficult position, Belland explained as a segment of the Conservative Party base likes Trump and his policies. Others hope that the conservative leader can oppose Trump's bump.

Canada Right Prime Minister oil -rich province AlbertaDaniel Smith is one of those who have taken a more prime approach to Trump. It rejected any discussions about the imposition of retaliatory rates on Canadian energy exports to the United States.

“Daniel Smith is a major conservative figure in Canada, and she perceives a soft approach to Trump, while (Pilevrer) tries to be bolder without alienating his base. It's not easy to navigate, ”Belen said.

In the meantime, the survey after the poll has shown that Canadians prevailing the thrump of Trump to turn Canada into the 51st US State. Support for more sovereignty over trade and infrastructure is also increasing throughout the country.

“Initially, the Canadians were somehow embarrassed” by Trump's comments about the capture of Canada, Kiril told Al Jazeera in an email.

But now “Trump's repetition for annexation plans, combined with all tariffs, brought the Canadians to a more darkened place.”

Recently Angus Reed Analysis He found that the share of Canadians, who said they were “very proud” from their country, jumped 10 percentage points – from 34 to 44 percent – between December and February.

The percentage of people who said they wanted Canada to join the United States also dropped from 6 to 4 percent. “Almost every politician of every political strip is trying to get involved,” that patriotic sentiment, “Kurl said.

“Thinking of us all the time”

This includes Doug Ford, Ontario's right-wing Prime Minister, the most populated province in Canada, which holds a provincial election later this month.

Ford puts a press against Trump's tariffs central pillar of his re -election campaign.

He and other leaders of all provinces and territories in Canada travel to Washington, Colombia County to defend their interests and promote trade relations in Canada and the United States. “This is the first time 13 prime ministers have appeared in Washington,” Ford told reporters.

“We are their biggest trading partner,” he told the United States. Imports and exports of goods between the two countries amount to over $ 700 billion (more than $ 1 trillion dollars) last year, according to Canadian government dataS

“We are their client number one. I am not very sure if they fully understand the impact (on the rates) on both sides, both sides of the border, “Ford added.

This is the same message that Trudeau and his government have been promoting since Trump first threatened to hit the tariffs in Canada, shortly after winning a re -election last November.

Country Won an outsider last week When the US President agreed to stop the 25 % rates for all Canadian goods and 10 % tariffs for Canadian oil for 30 days, until early March.

But the threat is still outlined by a new American impetus to impose tariffs for all the imports of steel and aluminum on March 12th caused new problems.

“It is important to understand that Canada will react as the case may be, a calibrated but extremely strong way, regardless of the United States moving forward,” Trudeau told reporters during a visit to Brussels, Belgium, Wednesday, on Wednesday, S

Whatever happens, Belen at McGill University said it was clear that Canadian policy would be strongly influenced in the coming weeks and months by Trump and his administration.

“Most Americans don't think about Canada very often,” he told Al Jazeera.

“But at the moment, the Canadians are thinking about (the US) all the time and they eat that – but they have no great choice.”