Dear President Trump:
I voted for you. I understand your strategy of America first. But your decision to tariff Canadian auto exports to the United States makes no sense. As you know, the automotive trade between Canada and the United States is virtually balanced. While Canada’s exports of cars to the U.S. may create a U.S. deficit, the United States exports an excess of automotive parts to Canada, balancing the automotive trade between the two countries.
This is clearly stated by the Toronto Dominion Bank’s economics team, January 28, 2025: “Potential Hazards Ahead” by Andrew Foran.
So why tariff Canadian exports of automotive products?
Your position to re-patriate the automotive industry to the United States is supposed to “bring back” jobs lost to overseas countries. The truth is that in Canada, many of those jobs were created over a hundred years ago, long before you and I were born. Look at these Canadian subsidiaries, and their starting dates in Canada:
The Ford Motor Company of Canada, founded 1904
General Motors Company of Canada 1918
The Chrysler Corporation of Canada 1925
American Motors Corporation (Nash & Hudson) 1954
The Big Three were building and shipping cars in Canada for Canadians long before WWII. Four, and five generations of Canadian families have worked in the factories, the shops, accessories and parts businesses feeding these successful companies. It’s in their DNA. They have taken loans to buy cars, mortgages to build homes, grow towns, and slogged to work for their families. The profits were returned to head office.
Sir, why are these companies in Canada? Market opportunity. This expansion wasn’t about finding cheap labor. This was about mining Canadian dollars.
Now you suggest that Canada is “ripping off” the United States by building cars and trucks. I think it’s a fair bet that every automotive trade investment that has been made on Canadian soil in the last seventy-five years has been supported by Canadian loans and a motivated labor force.
These industries existed decades before NAFTA. The 1965 US/Canada Auto Pact designed this relationship, which is balanced, and has been a cornerstone in supplying both countries equally.
I must remind you, Mr. President, that Canada is not just a neighbor. It is our friend and ally. Canadians have pitched in whenever the need arose: Dieppe, Vimy Ridge, Juno Beach, Afghanistan, Iraq, Iranian hostages, emergency 911-housing. Canadian first responders have convoyed to floods and tornados in the US heartland, quakes, hurricanes in the south, and to forest fires in the west.
These tariffs are worse than a slap in the face, they are a stab in the back.
Please explain why this balanced relationship is being burdened by tariffs which will harm citizens on both sides of the border. Better yet, Mr. President, please stop the tariffs on the automotive trade.
Yours truly,
Phil Brown
Libertyville, IL
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Thanks for writing this letter toTrump. Notice th
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First of all Phil, you are stating true facts and Trump rarely considers actual facts! He makes up his own facts and again rarely thinks ahead of of any any possible consequences. I traveled to Canada with my college roommates last fall and throughly enjoyed the beautiful sights. The people we met were incredibly friendly, but all of them had very negative things to say about the possibility of another Trump term. They were also nervous about the economic consequences he might impose. I guess they got it right! Talk about cutting off your nose to spite your face!!
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Great hearing from you Leslie! His goal is to make applesauce after he has upset the cart. That said, I get most of his strategy, but in the case of US/Canada automotive, it makes no sense. And it’s insulting. Be wary:?there’s something else behind it. Thanks for writing!
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