Trump Tariffs will destroy our economy…
(A modified portion of this post was sent as a Letter to the Editor to the National Post on March 5, 2025)
It is March 3rd. I write this at the hour of the Trump tariffs taking effect in Canada. Tariffs of anywhere from 10% to 25% on all manner of product loom over us.
The results are expected to be devastating, particularly to the auto industry in Ontario but also to many of the other industries that supply or rely on America as a customer or conduit.
…unless they don’t.
Canada should not back down and give in, but it can also look to wider solutions.
As staunch allies of Ukraine and a global leader for climate action with a uniquely gigantic amount of combined resources and skill. We should shift, dollar for dollar, or worker for worker, any Tariff impacted industry from existing products to military equipment for Ukraine and clean energy items for Canada and the world.
A WWII-like Pivot of Industrial Production to support Military and Climate Action
In World War Two, Canada along with much of the west, made a historic shift in its manufacturing economy almost overnight. A description from the Veteran’s Affairs website reads:
Canada was faced with the challenge of creating – practically from scratch – a strong industrial base to produce weapons and war materials for the war effort. Canadian industry and the workforce of our country stepped up with an amazing response to this situation and helped contribute to the Allied victory in the war.
With no less than 100,000 jobs in the crosshairs in auto related manufacturing alone there will need to be something done to keep those people working and keep those companies solvent.
The companies and workers most severely impacted, or even shuttered because of tariffs should be redirected by the Canadian government to produce products that Canada and the world need most.
Defend Freedom – Defend the Planet
Ukraine, Europe, and Canada itself already needed to greatly expand its stockpiles of military equipment in order to meet Russia’s (and China’s) threat.
Canada, and the world, has been struggling to shift its economy and society away from fossil fuels and into a clean, zero carbon future.
Now is our chance. Why would we voluntarily shutter our industries because of their reliance on the USA if we could pivot those industries into new products that would have an immediate market in Canada and abroad and help solve the two most pressing crises in our time.
Canada has, in the past, stood taller than others, punched above its weight, and brought more to the table than some might expect because we are resourceful and blessed with unlimited skill and determination.
Canada should use its blessings to avoid the worst of the harm the Russia-influenced Trump Administration wants to inflict and become a beacon in the world, building the critical supplies to secure our freedom and environment.
This is what was sent to the National Post:
Canada Should Wage Economic War for Ukraine and the Planet
Dear Editor,
Canada should not back down or give in to Trump’s tariffs and threats to our sovereignty. As staunch allies of Ukraine and a global leader for climate action with a uniquely gigantic amount of combined resources and skill, we should shift, dollar for dollar and worker for worker, any tariff impacted industry to military equipment and clean energy infrastructure. We’ve done it before. In World War II Canada made a historic and blindingly fast shift in its manufacturing economy to produce materiel for the war.
With no less than 100,000 jobs in the crosshairs in auto manufacturing alone we must keep people working and keep companies solvent. We can do much better than paying them to stay home. That shuttered equipment and worker skill is directly transferrable. In order to preserve and honour the freedom gained the last time Canada faced and defeated fascism, we need to build weapons for Ukraine, Europe, and ourselves, plus all manner of clean energy infrastructure to supercharge our transition of our workers and economy from fossil fuels to the zero carbon future and play our part to save our way of life and our planet.
Chris Alemany
Chris, while I admire and applaud your out-of-the-box thinking, getting buy-in from those in power may be a problem.
Your thoughts need to reach a wider audience than the one you presently have, an op-ed piece in The National Post perhaps? Cheers!
Well if you say so Don! 🙂
Done!