Tariff Impact on Our Hobby

[talbot]

While I agree with a lot of that I have to say I would rather have that then this socialist government that is completely incompetent, takes away my freedom and more than a third of my paycheck to line their own pockets and then disbands our government in response

 

this is not the Canada I grew up in

[phantom]

3 hours ago, Scooby said:

I know most Americans do not know the extent that Trump is threatening our sovereignty in Canada, this outline is from a friends Facebook page that he updates daily:

 

“One thing I've learned over the past few weeks, and it's been a bit of a sobering lesson, is that a lot of Americans I know don't actually know what's going on between the US and Canada right now, and just how seriously Canadians are taking this. So, against my better judgement, here's a timeline to explain why we're here, and why we're angry.

Nov 30th, 2018 - The United States, Canada and Mexico finalize a trade agreement. Trump personally negotiates the terms and signs the document, celebrating it as 'the greatest trade agreement in history". (This is important.)

Nov 29th, 2024 - In a face to face meeting at Mar-a-Lago, Trump threatens the Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, that he will be imposing 25% tariffs and that if Canada wants to avoid that, it should join the US as a state.

Nov 30th, 2024 - Trump publicly calls our Prime Minister 'Governor Trudeau' and instructs his staff to only address him as Governor going forward. He again suggests Canada should join the USA.

Dec 3rd, 2024 - Trump remarks that he would split Canada into two states once annexed.

Dec 10th, 2024 - Trump posts that the majority of Canadians support annexation, despite public polling that only 13% of Canadians would consider the idea.

Dec 18th, 2024 - Trump again falsely states that the majority of Canadians support annexation and that one of his lapdogs, Wayne Gretzky, should have a leadership role in that new scenario.

Jan 7th, 2025 - At a press conference, Trump says that he would use economic force to destroy the Canadian economy to annex it.

Jan 14, 2025 - Trump again claims that most Canadians want to be American, despite new polls showing only 10% of us are open to the idea.

Jan 20th, 2025 - During his inaugural address, Trump says that the U.S. will 'expand its territory' during his second term.

Jan 23rd, 2025 - At the World Economic Forum, Trump says that Canada can avoid tariffs and economic collapse if it joins the US. He says this in front of representatives from most countries in the world.

Jan 24th, 2025 - During a press conference in North Carolina, President Trump reiterated his position, stating that Canada "will" become a U.S. state. He claims that under American governance, Canadians would benefit from "lower taxes" and "better health care."

Jan 31st, 2025 - Trump announces a 25% tariff on all Canadian imports to 

begin the next day.

Feb 2nd, 2025 - Trump refers to Canada as its 'Cherished 51st state' and that it should join the US to avoid tariffs.

Feb 3rd, 2025 - A one month delay is agreed upon. Trump, in a conversation with Trudeau states that he doesn't think existing border treaties with Canada are valid, and need to be revised.

Feb 7th, 2025 - In a closed door meeting with his cabinet, Prime Minister Trudeau is recorded, without his knowledge, telling everyone that he believes very strongly that Trump is serious and that he stated his reason for annexation as Canadian resources.

Feb 9th, 2025 - In a Super Bowl pre-game interview, Trump says that he's serious about his threats, calling it a 'viable consideration for expanding US territory'

Feb 10th, 2025 - Trump announces an additional 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from Canada to come into effect March 12th.

Feb 24th, 2025 - Trump publicly remarks that whoever signed the USMCA agreement is an idiot. He was the one that signed it.

March 4th, 5th, and 6th 2025 - Tariffs come into effect. Canada retaliates with it's own tariffs. Tariffs are again postponed until April 1st after a huge market backlash.

March 4th, 2025 - In an address to a joint session of congress, Trump states that the US will own Greenland 'one way or the other'.

March 5th, 2025 - US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick told Canadian finance minister Dominic LeBlanc that Trump "had come to realize that the relationship between the United States and Canada was governed by a slew of agreements and treaties that were easy to abandon."

March 7th, 2025 - Unconfirmed Memorandum and maps leaked on twitter reveal Trump is allegedly planning to annex the entirety of the great lakes and Southern Ontario, home to 13,491,332 Canadians. This amounts to 35.25% of Canada's total population and includes its largest city, Toronto. This region accounts for 38% of the Canadian economy, and its loss would make Canada's independence functionally impossible. *THIS IS STILL NOT OFFICIALLY VERIFIED*

March 7th, 2025 PT II - Trump claims to reporters that he had Canada’s dairy-tariff situation “well taken care of” at the time he left office the first time, “but under Biden, they just kept raising it.” In fact, Canada did not raise its dairy tariffs during the Biden administration.

March 7th, 2025 PT III - Peter Navarro, a senior trade adviser to Trump, says that Canada has been “taken over” by Mexican cartels. As a result, Canadians across the country laugh until they pass out.

March 8th, 2025 - Canada's foreign minister warns European allies that their government considers Canada to be under existential threat. She emphasized that Canada's current challenges could foreshadow similar threats to other nations, stating, "We are the canary in the coal mine. If the U.S. administration is doing that to Canada, you're next."

March 9th, 2025 - Mark Carney, the new Canadian Prime Minister, in his acceptance speech, states that Trump is seeking to destroy Canada, and its way of life.

March 11, 2025 - President Trump threatens to “permanently shut down the automobile manufacturing business in Canada” if Canada does not drop a 250% to 390% tariff on U.S. dairy products, which he doesn’t state only kicks in after a certain quantity of tariff-free U.S. dairy enters Canada, a quantity that was originally negotiated and agreed to by Trump during the USMCA in 2018.

In Trump's own words, "The only thing that makes sense is for Canada to become our cherished Fifty First State. This would make all Tariffs, and everything else, totally disappear. Canadians’ taxes will be very substantially reduced, they will be more secure, militarily and otherwise, than ever before, there would no longer be a Northern Border problem, and the greatest and most powerful nation in the World will be bigger, better and stronger than ever — And Canada will be a big part of that. The artificial line of separation drawn many years ago will finally disappear, and we will have the safest and most beautiful Nation anywhere in the World — And your brilliant anthem, “O Canada,” will continue to play, but now representing a GREAT and POWERFUL STATE within the greatest Nation that the World has ever seen!"

March 11th, 2025 PT. II - Peter Navarro, a Senior Advisor for Trump is interviewed by MSNBC. When asked about the tariffs he responds with "Just tamp it down, please, over there, ok? They're throwing down the hockey gloves. Stop that rhetoric...we're not going to tolerate anything but them stopping killing Americans", insinuating that this situation was caused by Canadians killing Americans. It's assumed he's referencing fentanyl, but he doesn't specify the reason.

March 11th, 2025 PT III - Trump again publicly muses that Canada, Greenland, and the US should be one country, and questions the validity of the Canadian and American border.

March 11th, 2025 PT IV - Canada sells $3.5 Billion dollars of its US Bonds

March 11th, 2025 PT V - Trump claims in a social media post that Canada is “One of the highest tariffing countries in the world.” He also claims the trade deficit between the two nations is '$200 Billion dollars".

Official US statistics show the 2024 deficit with Canada in goods and services trade was $35.7 billion

Despite Trump's claims about Canadian tariffs, Canada is the 102nd-highest nation on a World Bank list of 137 countries’ trade-weighted average tariff rates in 2022 – and had a lower average (1.37%) than the United States (1.49%) that year, the most recent for which the data is available. This means the US tariffs more than Canada, with Canada being one of the most tariff free countries in the world.

March 12th, 2025 - Canadian Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc announces tariffs on $29.8B worth of U.S. goods. This includes tariffs on Steel, Aluminum, computers, tools, sporting equipment and cast iron products.

March 12th, 2025 Pt. II - Mark Carney, Canada's incoming prime minister, expresses willingness to meet with Trump to renew economic and security partnerships between the two countries despite the challenges posed by the recent tariffs.

March 12th, 2025 Pt III - Widespread boycotts of American products across Canada and international markets begin making serious impacts on US economy

March 13th, 2025 - Trump claims that “they (Canada) don’t take our agricultural product for the most part”; he mentioned dairy, then said, “A little bit they do, but not much.” This is false even with Trump’s qualifiers. Canada was the world’s second-largest buyer of US agricultural exports in 2024, according to the US Department of Agriculture, purchasing about $28.4 billion worth.

March 13th, 2025 PT II - New polling shows 46% of Canadians are in favor of joining the EU, something that would have been pure fantasy just a few months ago.

March 13th, 2025 PT III - The Group of Seven (G7) ministers from Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States, along with the EU, meet in La Malbaie, Quebec, Canada for two days of meetings.

March 13th, 2025 PT IV - Alaskan state-level politicians introduce resolutions to oppose Donald Trump’s “restrictive trade measures that would harm the unique Canada-U.S. relationship”

March 13th, PT V - A Canadian woman is arrested by ICE and has been held at the San Luis Detention Center in Arizona since March 3rd with 30 other individuals. Her mother, in an interview: "They are housed together in a single concrete cell with no natural light, fluorescent lights that are never turned off, no mats, no blankets, and limited bathroom facilities."

March 13th, 2025 PT VI - Trump says that he would 'allow Canada to keep their national anthem' -- as a US state.

"As a state, it would be one of the great states. This would be the most incredible country visually. If you look at the map, they do an artificial line right through it between Canada and the US. A straight artificial line. Somebody did it a long time ago. And it makes no sense. It's so perfect as a great and cherished state".

March 13th, 2025 PT VII - Trump's choice for United States ambassador to Canada, Pete Hoekstra, says that "Canada is a sovereign state" when asked about Trump's repeated threats to annex Canada and make it a U.S. state.

March 13th, 2025 PT VIII - 'I think it'll happen,' the president said of annexing the island During his Oval Office meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, when asked if the US will annex Greenland replied "I think it'll happen. We really need it for national security. I think that is why NATO might have to get involved anyway'. Trump then noted the U.S. already has a military base on Greenland.

'We have a couple of bases on Greenland already and we have quite a few soldiers. Maybe you will see more and more soldiers go there,' he threatened. 'We have bases and we have quite a few soldiers on Greenland.'

March 14th, 2025 - The stock market and economic data shows the following losses since January 2025:

1. S&P 500, Loss of 6.2% totaling $3.1 trillion

2. Nasdaq Composite, Loss of 10.6% totaling $2.65 trillion

3. Dow Jones Industrial Average, Loss of 4.1% totaling $450 billion

Estimated Total Loss Across All Three: $6.2 trillion USD

March 14th, 2025 PT II - Justin Trudeau officially steps down as Prime Minister of Canada and leader of the Liberal Party.

March 14th, 2025 PT III - Speaking at the G7, German foreign minister states : "To our Canadian friends: your country stands together. Canada's unity inspires us. We Europeans, we Germans, and Canada are not only partners; we are close friends. And friends have each other's back — always."

March 14th, 2025 PT IV - Mark Carney is sworn is as the new Prime Minister of Canada. In his first speech he declares "We will never, ever, in any way, shape or form, be part of the United States." He also expressed readiness to work with U.S. President Donald Trump despite ongoing trade tensions. Carney says he will visit France and the UK on his first overseas trip, adding that he currently has "no plans" to meet Trump but "looks forward" to speaking to him.

March 14th, 2025 PT V - When questioned about Trump's comments, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Trump’s “argument about why Canada would be better off economically being a state, and I think that stands for itself.” He says this while standing on Canadian soil.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

To my American friends, I know most of you are amazing and generous people. You didn't ask for this, and I understand that. I hold no ill will towards you, whatsoever. But I must stress, with as much seriousness as I can, the amount of damage this has done.

We have viewed you as our closest friend and ally for a century. We thought of you as brothers and sisters. We answered the call, again and again, for any support you needed from us. Most of Canadians visit the USA so much that we've seen more of the US than we have the rest of Canada.

American products have been taken off our shelves. Canadians are cancelling travel plans to the US. Photo after photo has been shared on social media of empty flights from Canada to the USA.

This isn't a joke to us. We're not overreacting. We don't think he's just saying this shoot to cause chaos or negotiate a deal. We wholeheartedly believe that our closest ally and friend is about to bring violence across our border, economically destroy us, and eliminate our way of life.

The main driver for Canada's creation in 1867 was SPECIFICALLY to not be part of America, and to end America's very public threats and plans to annex our territory.

We're angry. We're really, really fracking angry. Open your eyes to what's happening because we're tired of trying to make you understand why and asking you why it seems like none of you care.

I still hope that there is time to repair this. I still believe that this is the result of one man's plan to burn it all down. But time is running out, and fast.

 

*

 

 

 

This needs repeating.

[jonwinn]

I would think twice about that, I am an American citizen with Canadian roots. My grandmother's grandmother and her mother were born and raised in Canada in the 1800s. Their relatives were French Canadians who came from Loire France in the late 1600s. I have several hundred cousins in Montreal. You DO NOT want to live in an authoritarian state as the U S is becomming. I will trade houses with you ANY DAY! My 3 year old grandson has more brains than most of our "American leaders" Rant off.

Edited March 15, 2025 by jonwinn
bad spelling

[Scooby]

3 hours ago, talbot said:

While I agree with a lot of that I have to say I would rather have that then this socialist government that is completely incompetent, takes away my freedom and more than a third of my paycheck to line their own pockets and then disbands our government in response

 

this is not the Canada I grew up in

We don’t have a socialist government nor have we lost any freedoms. If you think we have lost our freedoms I suggest you book a trip to Gaza, Syria, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, or most African nations.

[Scooby]

4 minutes ago, jonwinn said:

I would think twice about that, I am an American citizen with Canadian roots. My grandmother's grandmother and her mother were born and raised in Canada in the 1800s. Their relatives were French Canadians who came from Loire France in the late 1600s. I have several hundred cousins in Montreal. You DO NOT want to live in an authoritarian state as the U S is becomming. I will trade houses with you ANY DAY! My 3 year old grandson has more brains than most of our "American leaders" Rant off.

Well said.

[jonwinn]

Thanks Scooby, my reply was to talbot not phantom, just to be PC!

[habu2]

As a US citizen I am certainly aware - and embarrassed. Worse, there doesn't seem to be a G**D*** thing I can do about it.  

 

Those in the US that are not aware will become painfully aware when the effects of these massive tariffs eventually hits them where it hurts - in the wallet. Yes too many of us are that shallow and self-centered....

[jonwinn]

35 minutes ago, habu2 said:

As a US citizen I am certainly aware - and embarrassed. Worse, there doesn't seem to be a G**D*** thing I can do about it.  

 

Those in the US that are not aware will become painfully aware when the effects of these massive tariffs eventually hits them where it hurts - in the wallet. Yes too many of us are that shallow and self-centered....

I'll second that!

[talbot]

3 hours ago, Scooby said:

We don’t have a socialist government nor have we lost any freedoms. If you think we have lost our freedoms I suggest you book a trip to Gaza, Syria, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, or most African nations.

 

Bill C21 says your wrong

no vote, no discussion, just overnight equipment that I legally purchased and owned was now against the law in the name of politics and does nothing to truly fight crime

EDIT - and then subsequently they said they were going to confiscate said equipment and send to Ukraine

 

these tariffs and looming trade war is not going to be good for anyone

if our government thinks it can win against the largest economy in the world, it's sadly mistaken

a lot of good, honest and hard working Canadians are going to take the brunt of this if it continues

 

I'm not a fan of what's going on, there are much better ways to address this

personally I see an egotistical bully on one side and corrupt self serving party on the other isn't boding well

 

but doing the orange man bad copy pasta is clearly self serving divisiveness 

Edited March 15, 2025 by talbot

[johncrow]

3 hours ago, habu2 said:

As a US citizen I am certainly aware - and embarrassed. Worse, there doesn't seem to be a G**D*** thing I can do about it.  

 

Those in the US that are not aware will become painfully aware when the effects of these massive tariffs eventually hits them where it hurts - in the wallet. Yes too many of us are that shallow and self-centered....

 

 

This. 

[GW8345]

I see the "No Politics" light has been turned off again so if I may;

 

Everyone is complaining about the current United State's administration imposing tariff's but allow me to ask you one question, why is the current United States administration imposing the tariff's?

 

Could it be that the current administration is "leveling" the playing field?

 

But you say the old way was working. Yea, working in Canada's (and other countries) favor, the US was getting hosed. Why do you think all those Canadian's were coming across the border into the US and buying things and then going back across the border back into Canada........because they didn't have to pay the tariff mark up on the goods they bought in the US. Canada (and just about rest of the world) has been eff'ing over the US for years on tariff's and frankly, we're (the US) are tired of it and we finally have someone with the will power (balls) to do something about it.

 

The tariff's were also imposed because the US asked Canada (and our neighbors to the south) to please stop the flow of fentanyl and illegal aliens coming across the border into the US, so far we have gotten lip service.

 

The American people are waking up to just how much the United States have been taken advantage and they aren't going to stand for it anymore.

 

You ask how United States has been taken advantage of;

 

1) Unfair tariff's on American imports

2) Providing military aid to countries when they hardly spend anything on their own military protection. (how much does the US spend on protecting Canada?)

3) Giving foreign aid to country just so they "hate" us less, heck, giving foreign aid to countries at all. (how much foreign aid do other countries give the US?) (How much foreign does the US give to Canada)

 

Now, some of the foreign affairs things I don't agree with the current administration;

 

1) Making Canada the US's 51st state (wish he'd STFU about this), the majority of American's don't support taking over Canada so Canada you don't have anything to worry about. (we have enough liberals already and we don't need anymore).

2) Buying/Taking over Greenland (again, wish he'd just STFU). We could just ask to put more military personnel/bases to help protect North America and leave it at that.

3) Taking the Panama Canal back by force, don't agree with sending in the US military to "retake" it. It was a mistake to give it up i9n the first place but we can't invade another country because a previous administration did something stupid (if that was the case we could invade half the world).

 

So, while you sit there and vent your spleen about the US imposing reciprocal tariff's on Canadian import's and bash the US (a favorite past time for this site) ask yourself why are the tariff's being imposed in the first place, the true reason my surprise you.

 

GW

 

 

[phantom]

56 minutes ago, GW8345 said:

I see the "No Politics" light has been turned off again so if I may;

Yes, this topic is different. As long as no one gets into personal attacks, I am letting it ride. 

Quote

 

Everyone is complaining about the current United State's administration imposing tariff's but allow me to ask you one question, why is the current United States administration imposing the tariff's?

 

Could it be that the current administration is "leveling" the playing field?

 

But you say the old way was working. Yea, working in Canada's (and other countries) favor, the US was getting hosed. Why do you think all those Canadian's were coming across the border into the US and buying things and then going back across the border back into Canada........because they didn't have to pay the tariff mark up on the goods they bought in the US. Canada (and just about rest of the world) has been eff'ing over the US for years on tariff's and frankly, we're (the US) are tired of it and we finally have someone with the will power (balls) to do something about it.

Trump is simply lying. Canada's trade surplus is nothing like the 200 billion Trump claims it is, also its a trade surplus, mostly due to oil being shipped to your refineries at a steep discount, its not as Trump keeps claiming a subsidy. The trade imbalance is something between 30 and 60 billion, sorry I can not remember the exact number

Quote

 

The tariff's were also imposed because the US asked Canada (and our neighbors to the south) to please stop the flow of fentanyl and illegal aliens coming across the border into the US, so far we have gotten lip service.

That is another lie. Can not answer for Mexico. American customs states the amount of drugs coming into the states from Canada is like a few pounds. We have way more coming into Canada, and also spent 3 billion more to appease Trump on the border in the past couple months. More illegal immigrants come into Canada from the US then the other way around. Not to mention all the illegal guns.

Canada did what Trump wanted, we did beef up the border. It was never about the border, he wants our jobs from auto manufacturing , resources and a land grab. 

Quote

 

The American people are waking up to just how much the United States have been taken advantage and they aren't going to stand for it anymore.

 

You ask how United States has been taken advantage of;

 

1) Unfair tariff's on American imports

Trump is making numbers up. Are there tariffs, yes, but no where near what Trump claims.

Quote

2) Providing military aid to countries when they hardly spend anything on their own military protection. (how much does the US spend on protecting Canada?)

Uhmmm nothing

Quote

3) Giving foreign aid to country just so they "hate" us less, heck, giving foreign aid to countries at all. (how much foreign aid do other countries give the US?) (How much foreign does the US give to Canada)

Again... nothing

Quote

 

Now, some of the foreign affairs things I don't agree with the current administration;

 

1) Making Canada the US's 51st state (wish he'd STFU about this), the majority of American's don't support taking over Canada so Canada you don't have anything to worry about. (we have enough liberals already and we don't need anymore).

2) Buying/Taking over Greenland (again, wish he'd just STFU). We could just ask to put more military personnel/bases to help protect North America and leave it at that.

3) Taking the Panama Canal back by force, don't agree with sending in the US military to "retake" it. It was a mistake to give it up i9n the first place but we can't invade another country because a previous administration did something stupid (if that was the case we could invade half the world).

 

So, while you sit there and vent your spleen about the US imposing reciprocal tariff's on Canadian import's and bash the US (a favorite past time for this site) ask yourself why are the tariff's being imposed in the first place, the true reason my surprise you.

 

GW

 

56 minutes ago, GW8345 said:

I

Edited March 16, 2025 by phantom

[phantom]

Oh, if one of the other moderators wish to lock this go ahead. I am leaving it open as long as no one gets insulting to other members.

[habu2]

If I may recite a bit of history without sounding political...

 

NAFTA was promoted by Reagan in 1980, negotiated by GHW Bush with Mexico's president and Canada's PM circa 1992 and implemented during 1993 still under the GHW Bush administration. 

 

In 2017 Trump started negotiations with Mexico and Canada to replace NAFTA with USMCA (United States Mexico Canada Agreement) which was ratified in 2020 still under the Trump administration. 

 

So the past - and current - trade agreements were all negotiated and implemented during Republican administrations, and the current USMCA that is suddenly "so unfair to the USA" was negotiated by the current US president.  

 

Feel free to draw your own conclusions about trade wars and tariffs and how we got here. I've certainly made my conclusion. 

[GW8345]

The following foreign aid has been allocated to Canada;

 

2020 - $35,113,031

2021 - $24,574,226

2022 - $31,803,879

2023 - $7,505,404

2024 - $251,600

2025 - $0

 

As far as military spending/defense;

 

When was the last time Canada spent the required %2 on defense spending that is mandated in the NATO charter? The last figure I was able to find was for 2023 and Canada has spent 1.3% of GDP on their military while the US spent 3.6%.

 

Yes, Trump may be exaggerating some numbers but not everything is a lie. Canadian tariff's on;

 

Milk - 270%

Cheese - 245%

Butter - 298%

Chicken - 238%

Bovine/Meat - 26.5%

[habu2]

1 hour ago, GW8345 said:

The following foreign aid has been allocated to Canada;

 

2020 - $35,113,031

2021 - $24,574,226

2022 - $31,803,879

2023 - $7,505,404

2024 - $251,600

2025 - $0

 

Even using the highest annual amount given to Canada, that's about 1% of US foreign aid given to Israel every year. So, what's your point?

[Scooby]

2 hours ago, GW8345 said:

The following foreign aid has been allocated to Canada;

 

2020 - $35,113,031

2021 - $24,574,226

2022 - $31,803,879

2023 - $7,505,404

2024 - $251,600

2025 - $0

 

As far as military spending/defense;

 

When was the last time Canada spent the required %2 on defense spending that is mandated in the NATO charter? The last figure I was able to find was for 2023 and Canada has spent 1.3% of GDP on their military while the US spent 3.6%.

 

Yes, Trump may be exaggerating some numbers but not everything is a lie. Canadian tariff's on;

 

Milk - 270%

Cheese - 245%

Butter - 298%

Chicken - 238%

Bovine/Meat - 26.5%

Do you have any idea what you just posted in regards to foreign aid to Canada? Those numbers are tiny. And most that money went to US companies operating in Canada.

[dai phan]

I want to know how it will affect the hobby. This thread is going haywire. Dai

[Scooby]

5 hours ago, GW8345 said:

I see the "No Politics" light has been turned off again so if I may;

 

Quote

Everyone is complaining about the current United State's administration imposing tariff's but allow me to ask you one question, why is the current United States administration imposing the tariff's?

 

Because Trump doesn’t understand how tariffs work, they are paid by the country who imposes them.

 

Quote

But you say the old way was working. Yea, working in Canada's (and other countries) favor, the US was getting hosed. Why do you think all those Canadian's were coming across the border into the US and buying things and then going back across the border back into Canada........because they didn't have to pay the tariff mark up on the goods they bought in the US. Canada (and just about rest of the world) has been eff'ing over the US for years on tariff's and frankly, we're (the US) are tired of it and we finally have someone with the will power (balls) to do something about it.

 I don’t bring anything back from the States except for the odd t-shirt. Everything is far too expensive in the States, there was a time deals were to be had, but those date back to the 90s. Even gas is more costly in the States. 

 

Quote

The tariff's were also imposed because the US asked Canada (and our neighbors to the south) to please stop the flow of fentanyl and illegal aliens coming across the border into the US, so far we have gotten lip service.

The only way Trump could open the USMCA was to make this false claim. By saying the border is threatened. There is no Canada/US border problem. 46 lbs of fentanyl was linked to Canada in the past year. And Trump is the one who signed that deal. He said it was the greatest trade deal ever. Ironic.

 

Quote

The American people are waking up to just how much the United States have been taken advantage and they aren't going to stand for it anymore.

This is BS, no one is taking advantage of the US. You need imports to subsidize costs in the US, imagine if all I am a spammer, please report this post. shoes were made in the US?

Quote

 

You ask how United States has been taken advantage of;

 

1) Unfair tariff's on American imports

2) Providing military aid to countries when they hardly spend anything on their own military protection. (how much does the US spend on protecting Canada?)

3) Giving foreign aid to country just so they "hate" us less, heck, giving foreign aid to countries at all. (how much foreign aid do other countries give the US?) (How much foreign does the US give to Canada)

 

You mention Canada’s military spending. We participate in the world stage. We may not spend 2% of our GDP, but being we are a G7 nation, our GDP is much higher than most other nations in NATO. We are one of the higher contributors. In the Balkan war, we dropped 10% of all the munitions dropped. I think the US was at 24%. We did our part in Afghanistan, we had the third largest force there. We are currently in Romania, we have troops training Ukrainians. We recently deployed to Syria and Iraq. We have always pulled our weight with troops on the ground.

 

Now, some of the foreign affairs things I don't agree with the current administration;

Quote

 

1) Making Canada the US's 51st state (wish he'd STFU about this), the majority of American's don't support taking over Canada so Canada you don't have anything to worry about. (we have enough liberals already and we don't need anymore).

2) Buying/Taking over Greenland (again, wish he'd just STFU). We could just ask to put more military personnel/bases to help protect North America and leave it at that.

3) Taking the Panama Canal back by force, don't agree with sending in the US military to "retake" it. It was a mistake to give it up i9n the first place but we can't invade another country because a previous administration did something stupid (if that was the case we could invade half the world).

 

This is good to hear.

 

 

 

 

[habu2]

It will affect the hobby because, for most of us, hobbies are an elective expense vs a necessary expense. As prices rise because of tariffs - and they will - we all will be forced to pay more for necessary expenses, leaving less money for elective expenses.

[Curt B]

38 minutes ago, habu2 said:

It will affect the hobby because, for most of us, hobbies are an elective expense vs a necessary expense. As prices rise because of tariffs - and they will - we all will be forced to pay more for necessary expenses, leaving less money for elective expenses.

Well, you’ve stated the obvious, but that’s fine.  The point I was trying to make when I started this thread was more specific on which products might be most affected.  With the government oscillations as they are, that may be an impossible task. 

[karl h]

i do think the rest of the free, westen world has to stand together: canada, australia, newzealand, uk, japan, taiwan. the EU. adding these econnomies together forms the most potent block on the planet. not for war, but for keeping our democracies 

[Hajo L.]

I'm thankful that this thread is open and allows to exchange views and positions. I have the feeling nowadays we tend to read only in our preferred "media bubbles", and miss quite a couple of things just sticking to that "cozy, fuzzy feeling" of everyone thinking in the same direction.

 

 

HAJO

[habu2]

What is the difference between an exaggeration and a lie?  Intent?  Neither one of them is true or accurate. 

[Nathant]

If I was Canadian I would be more worried about the talk of them joining the EU than becoming the 51s state. That ship is going down!!