By Elke Porter | WBN News Tariffs | April 26, 2025

Picture it: Two Prime Ministers, both in red — but that's where the similarities end. On the ice, Donald Trump, captain of the U.S. Republican team, skates out like a freight train, ready to drop gloves. Opposite him: Mark Carney, the polished new captain of Canada's Liberal squad, lacing up to defend maple syrup, lumber, and national pride.

The rink? The 49th parallel. The stakes? Millions in tariffs, barrels of bourbon, and the bruised egos of two nations. Welcome to Hockey Night at the Border: The Great Tariff Yo-Yo.

The Opening Faceoff: Carney Replaces Trudeau

It all started when Justin Trudeau — Canada’s outgoing Prime Minister — handed off his stick to Mark Carney in early 2025, after a leadership race among Liberals. (✅ Fact Check: Carney, a former Bank of England Governor, is indeed in the running to be a future Prime Minister)

Just as Carney stepped onto the ice, Trump, already revving up from his 2024 election comeback, unleashed a 25% tariff on virtually all Canadian goods (✅ true, according to early 2025 reports), with a slightly softer 10% hit on Canadian energy — because even Trump knows you don't mess with oil too much.

Trump justified it by saying it was to stop fentanyl and illegal immigration (✅ fact: less than 1% of U.S.-bound fentanyl comes from Canada), even though Canada's border is about as tight as a Zamboni in January. Carney, armed with a billion-dollar border security plan and a hockey grin, shot back, calling the move "reckless and ridiculous." Gloves off. Or in Canada's Case, "elbows up."

First Period: Tariff Body Checks and Bench-Clearing Brawls

Trump, wielding his tariff stick like a bruiser in overtime, swung first:

25% tariffs on Canadian and Mexican goods
10% tariffs on China
(✅ Fact check: this matches early 2025 Trump executive orders.)

Carney retaliated faster than a Gordie Howe elbow:

$30 billion in immediate counter-tariffs
$125 billion more warming up in the penalty box.
"Elbows Up" becomes the new slogan for Canadians

Doug Ford, Ontario’s Premier, played enforcer, banning American liquor and even threatening to cut off electricity exports to 1.5 million U.S. homes. (✅ true: Ford suggested harsh retaliation including energy threats.)

Nova Scotia fans, meanwhile, were yanking American whiskey off shelves so fast you’d think it was playoff season. Other provinces kicked in, like Premier David Eby directed the BC Liquor Distribution Branch to stop purchasing American liquor from Republican-led “red states” starting February 1, 2025, and remove top-selling brands from shelves. By March 10, 2025, B.C. escalated its response, yanking all American-made alcohol, including what Eby called “watery beer,” from provincial liquor stores. Signs in stores urged customers to “Buy Canadian Instead.”

ThenPrime Minister Donald Trump—never one to stick to a script—started treating tariffs like a toddler treats a light switch: ON, OFF, ON, OFF. One day he’s discussing "fair trade" with Canada, the next he’s tweeting threats like a caffeinated stockbroker on Reddit.

Second Period: A Surprise Timeout

Then came a weird moment: After a fiery phone call that reportedly needed a "language warning" (✅ fact: reports said calls were heated), Trump agreed to pause tariffs for 30 days — if Carney launched a Canada-U.S. Joint Strike Force against fentanyl, poured in $200 million, and labelled Mexican cartels as terrorist groups.

Carney, stick-taping like a pro, agreed, calling it "a strategic pause." Trump tweeted (sorry, "truthed") that Carney "was weak, but improving." Meanwhile, Canadian fans kept booing the Star-Spangled Banner at hockey games, and Trump started hinting that Canada should just become the 51st state. (✅ Trump made jokes about annexation.)

Third Period: Gloves Drop Again

By March 4, 2025, the truce collapsed. Trump reinstated the full 25% tariff hammer (✅ confirmed), while Canada slammed another $30 billion on American products, from bourbon to washing machines.

The media dubbed it "Puckgate."
Carney quipped at a town hall:

"If tariffs won hockey games, Trump would have the Stanley Cup by now."

Markets plunged, CEOs screamed, and American automakers — including GM, Ford, and Stellantis — begged for mercy. Warren Buffett even called it "an act of war" (✅ fact: Buffett criticized reckless trade wars).

Overtime: Yet Another Pause

Sensing the ice cracking beneath him, Trump paused tariffs again on March 6 — temporarily exempting auto parts, CUSMA-compliant goods, and a few other industries from the full 25% hit. (✅ fact: partial exemptions were negotiated.)

Still, 62% of Canadian imports remained under heavy tariffs, and Ottawa kept their $30 billion counter-tariffs in place, with the full $125 billion on standby. Ford, never missing a moment to stir the pot, announced a 25% levy on electricity exports starting Monday. The crowd roared.

Other Dates

*March 12, 2025: The U.S. imposed additional 25% tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum, further escalating tensions. Canada.ca+5Canada.ca

*March 13, 2025: Canada responded with reciprocal tariffs on U.S. steel, aluminum, and other products, totaling approximately $29.8 billion.

*April 2, 2025: The U.S. planned to extend tariffs to goods previously exempt under the USMCA, intensifying the trade dispute.

Shootout Predictions: What Happens Next?

As of April 26, 2025, the puck's still spinning mid-air:

Trump’s limited pause is still in effect.
62% of Canadian goods are hit with tariffs.
Canada’s $30 billion counter-hit is locked in, with more coming.

Negotiations between U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Canadian Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc are sputtering along. Meanwhile, Trump keeps teasing that he’ll “cut a better deal” if Canada tightens its dairy and border rules — two of his favourite hockey pucks.

Prediction?

Best Case: Both sides "win" by calling a truce before the 2026 USMCA renegotiation.
Worst Case: Tariff escalation, factory shutdowns, soaring inflation, and border relations chillier than a -40° Manitoba morning.
Most Likely: More tariff yo-yo antics until someone finally drops the stick and picks up the puck.

Final Whistle: Grab Your Poutine, It’s Gonna Get Bumpy

In this borderland hockey brawl, neither Trump nor Carney is backing off easily.
Both are skating hard, hurling tariffs like slapshots, and trying not to get bodychecked by their own economies. Meanwhile, President Trump is knee-deep in a bruising trade battle with China, while Carney — without a seat in the House of Commons — is campaigning hard in Nepean for the upcoming federal election on May 28, 2025.

Whoever wins, either current Prime Minister Mark Carney or official Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre, will have to jump into the game, score the winning goal, or risk getting sent straight to the political penalty box.

If you love drama — and maple syrup — this is your Stanley Cup.

Stay tuned. The Great Tariff Yo-Yo is only just warming up.

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#Tariff Tango #US Canada Trade War #Trump Tariffs #Mark Carney #Canadian Politics #Trade Drama 2025 #WBN News Tariffs #Elke Porter

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