Last night, Donald Trump signed the executive order.
We knew it was coming. We’ve been circling this moment for days. And he made it official: tariffs on Canadian imports, those not covered under CUSMA, are now 35%, up from 25%.
Sounds dramatic. And it is. But before anyone spirals, let’s get something clear. Between 80% and 90% of our exports are CUSMA-compliant, which means they’re still crossing the border tariff-free. Some sources suggest the number could be as high as 90% and I hope that’s the case. But I’ve chosen to use the 80% figure to be cautious and not overstate the protection CUSMA offers. There are still a significant number of businesses, especially smaller ones, that either don’t meet the origin requirements or don’t have the capacity to navigate the complex paperwork needed for certification. So while the majority of our trade is covered, I think it’s important not to gloss over the vulnerable share that isn’t.That matters. Trump wants this to feel like a full shutdown. It’s not.
The approximately 20% that just got hit? That’s often small and mid-sized businesses who either don’t meet the complex “rules of origin,” or haven’t been able to file the mountain of paperwork to prove they do. Global supply chains. Raw materials. Unfinished parts. It’s not nothing. But it’s not everything either.
And yet, even with all that said, that’s not the headline. The real concern remains the sectoral tariffs that haven’t moved such as lumber, autos, steel and aluminum, autos. That’s where the real pain is. That’s where entire towns such as Quesnel, Windsor, Hamilton, Trois-Rivières and Nackawic hang in the balance. And those sectors remain under siege.
Trump again tried to justify this latest hit by blaming fentanyl and Canadian “inaction”, which is laughable, if it weren’t so reckless. Canada accounts for 1% of fentanyl entering the U.S. And Carney’s government has already been investing heavily in border enforcement, drug interdiction, aerial surveillance, and the toughest border legislation in our history.
So no, this isn’t about fentanyl, or dairy or fairness. It’s about power, control amd performance. And it’s personal. That much is crystal clear.
Sometimes I wonder if I’m just repeating myself. Saying the same thing over and over again. And maybe I am. But then I remind myself that this is exactly why I have to keep saying it. Because this isn’t about scoring points. It’s about protecting truth in a storm of lies. It’s about telling the story before someone else rewrites it for us.
I stayed up late, flipping channels, listening to the analysts, the trade experts, the chaos. And somewhere in that mess, I heard a quiet comment that stuck with me: a researcher compared Canada to the Doozers from Fraggle Rock, those tiny green builders who kept constructing while the Fraggles tore everything down. That’s us right now. We build. Quietly. Relentlessly. No matter who’s smashing the walls around us.
And just before I went to bed, Prime Minister Mark Carney released a statement, and to be blunt, it echoed exactly what I’ve been thinking, “While the Canadian government is disappointed by this action, we remain committed to CUSMA… The U.S. average tariff rate on Canadian goods remains one of the lowest for all its trading partners. For each impacted sector, the Canadian government will act to protect Canadian jobs, invest in our industrial competitiveness, buy Canadian and diversify our export markets.”
This is the tone I needed to hear. Not panic just a focus on being intentional. Carney didn’t match Trump’s bluster. He focused on what we can control. Things such as cutting interprovincial trade barriers, investing in national infrastructure, using Canadian workers and resources, and becoming our own best customer.
And then this line. We need to keep this front and centre. “We can give ourselves more than any foreign government can ever take away.”
The timing of a Canadian offensive, if one is even needed, is still to be determined. But let’s not forget that we have tools. We have leverage. From reciprocal tariffs to the natural resources the U.S. depends on, to the American bonds that we hold. There are many forms of pressure we’ve yet to apply. We don’t fight recklessly, we fight with strategy, discipline, and purpose. And that means knowing when to act, and when to hold.
There’s your contrast. One man weaponizes policy like a tantrum. Another leans into building a country that doesn’t flinch.
So to simplify here’s where we stand. 80% of Canadian trade remains protected under CUSMA, 20% just got squeezed harder especially for smaller firms, sectoral tariffs are still the real crisis and once again Trump is spiraling, lying, blaming, and inflating.
And Canada? We’re building. With purpose. With partners. With grit.
I didn’t set out to write every day. I didn’t plan on logging this much road. But if even one person feels a little more grounded, a little more informed from what I share then it’s worth it. The crack in the road may widen but so will our resolve.
Canada Strong and Free!
Nancy's Notes 