Why It Matters

This article was last updated on February 12, 2025

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USA: Oye! Times readers Get FREE $30 to spend on Amazon, Walmart…Why It Matters: The Canadian and U.S. economies are closely intertwined, with over $3 billion in goods and services crossing the border each day. Canada is also the largest export market for 36 U.S. states. The threat of tariffs has brought uncertainty, causing businesses to review their plans. The tariffs’ imposition would have had a broad impact, with the potential to plunge the economy into a recession.

Canada poses a smaller problem to the U.S. than Mexico in terms of illegal migration and drug smuggling. There have nonetheless been issues around foreign nationals obtaining Canadian visas to then cross illegally into the United States. Ottawa says it has cracked down on the problem and that numbers are now significantly down.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says Canada shouldn’t take the line that the flow of fentanyl from the northern border is less than what enters the U.S. from Mexico, as she says that won’t win over the U.S. government.

Criminal groups in Canada are increasingly involved in the fentanyl trade, a powerful synthetic opioid causing thousands of deaths on both sides of the border. The RCMP said it took down the “largest” ever drug superlab in B.C. in October.

What’s Next: The threat of tariffs has spurred reflection on the need to take down interprovincial trade barriers. The federal minister responsible, Anita Anand, said those could promptly fall. Discussions on new energy projects to diversify markets for Canadian oil and gas are also taking place.