Doug Rogers

Canadians have been told for years that we cannot live without a trade agreement with the Americans. Politicians say it, business leaders echo it, and we have come to believe it. The question is whether that is really true.

A trade agreement can bring certainty. Companies know the rules, tariffs are kept in check, and supply chains stay on track. When businesses know what to expect they invest and hire with more confidence. That is the main argument for having a deal with Washington.

There is another side to it though. Agreements can hold us back when the United States decides to play hardball. We saw it with steel, aluminum, and softwood lumber. Those tariffs hurt Canada even though agreements were already in place. A deal is only as good as the partner who signs it.

That brings us to Trump. Is there any point in rushing to negotiate with him or with today’s Republican party? Many Canadians feel it is better to wait. Why sign on to a bad deal that locks us in when a new administration could be just around the corner? Patience may serve us better than panic.

It is true that most of our exports still go south. That number is too big to ignore. Yet Canada has been slowly building stronger ties with Europe and Asia. Trade with other partners is growing. At the same time we often forget that our domestic market is strong too. Canadians buy from Canadians every single day. We are not as weak without Washington as some would have us believe. We do have to improve our inter-provincial restrictive practices though, and that is proving to be more difficult than dealing with the Americans. We can be our own worst enemy when it comes to trade.

The real problem is trust. If trade agreements are meant to create stability, how much stability do we really get when the other side is unpredictable? Trump uses tariffs to stir up crowds and to claim victories at rallies. That is not partnership. That is bullying. Canada does not need an agreement just to say we have one. What we need is fairness. Sometimes the only way to get fairness is to walk away until conditions improve. Do we even want to do any business with a dictator?

The truth is that trade will continue whether there is an agreement or not. Goods will still move across the border. Businesses will still find ways to sell and buy. There may be bumps along the way, but Canadians know how to deal with bumps.

Maybe the smarter choice is to wait this one out. Agreements rushed through in chaos rarely stand the test of time. Canada is strong enough to hold its own while we wait for better conditions and better partners. The real question is not whether we can survive without a trade agreement.

The real question is whether we believe in ourselves enough to recognize that we already can.