PODCAST:
July 22, 2026 ~ Former Michigan Governor and U.S. Ambassador to Canada Jim Blanchard explains the potential impact of President Donald Trump’s newly announced tariffs on Canadian products and what they could mean for Michigan businesses, workers, and cross-border trade. He also discusses the cancellation of the ribbon-cutting of the Gordie Howe Bridge.
CANADA ~ The Trump administration announced Monday that it would implement 50% tariffs on a slew of Canadian products, furthering the president’s aggressive trade policies and antagonism towards the U.S.’ northern neighbor.
President Donald Trump said the tariffs were retaliatory due to “discriminatory” trade practices from Canada on U.S. products from the auto, alcohol, and dairy industries. He issued the tariffs under the 1930 Trade Act, implementing the tariffs in the next 30 days.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said that Canada will “intensify” trade negotiations with the U.S. in the coming weeks.
Former Michigan Gov. and U.S. Ambassador to Canada Jim Blanchard went on to WJR Wednesday to express disapproval of the trade war waged by Trump.
“This thing is spiraling out of control, and, frankly, there’s no serious justification for it,” he said. “We’ve had a trade surplus with Canada for years, with one exception: energy, which we need. We get oil, gas, and hydroelectric from Canada. That’s a real positive for us, for our people, our economy, for utilities, everything. And Michigan, we benefit greatly from our relationship with Canada.”
Trump already put a 50% tariff on steel and aluminum imports into the U.S., which affects Canada. These new tariffs come after he threatened to place more tariffs on Canada over the weekend, blaming the nation for the rampant wildfires that have put much of the Midwest and East Coast under smog.
