By Spandan Sahu.

The Trump presidency in the last 2 months has sent huge waves throughout geopolitics and global trade. This tension is most evident in the threat from Trump to turn Canada into the “51st State,” (with Trump even frequently referring to Justin Trudeau as Governor Trudeau) claiming this would make the North American continent even more powerful and would remove any tariffs the US has placed on them. Although the US ambassador to Canada has recently emphasized that Canada is a sovereign state, this feels contrary to the expansionist rhetoric from the Trump presidency (which has repeatedly stated they want to annex Greenland from Denmark). The Canadian people and government, hence, have not taken these remarks lightly, demonstrating a few acts of defiance against the USA.

1. Economic Tariffs

The USA, having placed 25% tariffs upon Canadian steel, computers and sports equipment, and 10% duties upon energy such as crude oil and natural gas, quickly found themselves as the target of Canadian retaliatory tariffs. The “dollar for a dollar” approach has been so far successful; when Ontario threatened a 25% surcharge upon their electricity exports to the USA, Trump, in characteristic fashion, promised a 50% tariff upon the same Canadian products he had previously put a 25% rate upon, which he backtracked after Ontario suspended their energy price spike. The resulting market volatility due to the escalation has damaged business and consumer confidence, making it increasingly difficult for firms to decide where to source their raw materials, and difficult for consumers to pick their energy providers. The tariffs underscore Canadian defiance in the face of US pressure, demonstrating they are willing to stand their ground.

2. Sporting Troubles

The tensions are not merely political but have spilled over into sports. The 4 Nations Face Off tournament, played between Canada, the USA, Sweden, and Finland, the top-ranking nations in ice hockey, became a battleground for national pride. The final championship match witnessed a spectacle between Canada and the USA, with Canadian fans booing the Star-Spangled Banner and any US player that was put on screen. Three fights emerged between the players in the first nine seconds of the round-robin stage, fueled by the inflammatory remarks made by Donald Trump during the week. The Canadians had lashed back during National Hockey League and National Basketball Association matches in ice hockey and basketball respectively, and their emergent victory to win the tournament did nothing but rub salt into the wounds of the USA, with celebratory jabs passed after the Canadian victory in the final of the US being the “11th province” of Canada. Justin Trudeau, the outgoing Prime Minister of Canada, was not reserved in his elation, taunting on X, “you can’t take our country – and you can’t take our game.”

3. A Quiet Rebellion

A trend in a small coffee shop in British Columbia has now erupted into a rebranding of the americano to the “canadiano” across cafés in Canada; ironically, the americano itself was a rebranding of the espresso during the Second World War, when Italian espressos were served with hot water as American soldiers couldn’t handle the strong bitterness of a shot. This cultural pushback against American influence in the country, especially when the two countries have been so politically, socially, and economically intertwined for more than 100 years, reflects a growing desire from Canadians to reaffirm their national identity and symbolizes a broader move away from a dependence on and acceptance of American tradition.