Trade is now about power and Canada must play this game too

opinion

Canada needs to unite its domestic and foreign policy focus and orient it toward amassing economic and political power.

Jeff Mahon is director of geopolitical and international business advisory at consulting firm StrategyCorp.

Welcome to the age of perplexity. Canada’s decision to unilaterally drop retaliatory tariffs against the United States have left Canadians confused as to what the strategy is for dealing with U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration and our place in the broader world.

The reality is Canada had few other options in dealing with a much more powerful country that throws its weight around to get what it wants. Our initial response to Mr. Trump’s tariffs followed an outdated playbook . As his resolve hardened and extended beyond Canada, it became clea