The David Lin Report · Tuesday, September 8, 2026
An expert suggests Canada should not retaliate against US tariffs, arguing it is counterproductive and harms Canada's economy. The US tariff rates are not uniquely high for Canada compared to other trading partners, and these should be viewed as US domestic policy changes.
“And so Canada is not being uniquely singled out here for tariffs. And so we should, I think, view them more as US domestic policy changes.”
“And I tend to think free trade is best for long-run growth, productivity, and so on. But evaluating the pros and cons of tariffs in the US, it's for Americans to debate and, you know, explore and weigh those pros and cons.”
“And retaliation, um, you know, perhaps counterproductive to that. It hurts Canada's economy further. Makes our exports to other countries less competitive. Increases costs to consumers. And detracts from the gains from trade further, you know, not to mention further inflames, uh, some of the political tension that exists between the governments here and in the United States.”