An Inconvenient Truth
The American election is done; the votes counted, the outcome a fait de complete and the first serious Canadian casualty may be Kamloops. In particular, as America begins building walls and retreating into isolationist type behaviours, there is a good chance it will have a serious impact on our forestry sector.
During the election, the trade protectionist hyperbole, exaggerating the benefits to workers in America’s Heartland, was a key part of Trump’s platform. However, some may have noticed the promises and embellishments neglected an inconvenient truth about tariffs and that truth is called trade wars.
There is a reason they call it war and it seems many ignore or simply don’t know what the consequences are. That inconvenient truth and what so many seem oblivious to, is the true retaliatory nature of tariffs.
Tariffs give this false hope to an electorate looking for change. In the fervour of the election, the siren song of fulfilled expectations and dreams was dangerously simple. It was the quick fix solution of simply denying foreign access to their domestic market.