What Trump gets wrong about tariffs
U.S. President Donald Trump often claims that tariffs introduced in the late 1800s by then-president William McKinley ushered in America's Golden Age, but history reveals a different story. CBC's Eli Glasner breaks down what Trump gets wrong and the lessons he could learn from the past.
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CBC
an hour ago
- CBC
Carney's first foreign policy test begins at G7 — amid Middle East crisis and Trump's trade war
Prime Minister Mark Carney will welcome leaders of the world's most powerful democratic countries Sunday for the start of a three-day meeting in the Rocky Mountains — a high-stakes summit that longtime G7 observers say could be one of the most consequential in years. Carney's priorities for this gathering in Kananaskis, Alta., reflect the challenges of our time: war and peace, energy security with a focus on critical minerals and artificial intelligence and "securing the partnerships of the future," according to the Prime Minister's Office. This will include talk about U.S. President Donald Trump's aggressive trade actions against Canada and other G7 countries. And as parts of Western Canada go up in flames, Carney has also put wildfires on the agenda. The leaders will discuss bolstering joint responses to climate disasters and some sort of "wildfire charter" is expected. Israel's strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities and military sites, which began Friday, could overshadow the discussions on the official agenda. The guest list for the summit, which includes India's Narendra Modi, has drawn some domestic criticism but Carney has argued that big global challenges should be addressed by the world's big players — even if there are some lingering tensions. WATCH | How this G7 summit will differ from 2018: Why won't there be a leaders' communique coming out of next week's G7? | Power & Politics 2 days ago Duration 14:19 The Power Panel discusses the strategy behind Prime Minister Mark Carney's decision to forego a final communique at next week's G7 leaders' summit that will be attended by President Donald Trump. "It's a landmark summit because never before have these leaders had to confront so many strong, simultaneously interconnected crises," said John Kirton, director of the G7 Research Group at the University of Toronto. Kirton is pleased with the guest list Carney has assembled, saying there are more leaders of consequence coming to Kananaskis than perhaps any other such meeting in recent memory. In addition to the G7 members and India, Brazil, South Africa, United Arab Emirates, South Korea, Ukraine, Mexico and Australia — the secretaries general of the UN, NATO and EU along with the head of the World Bank will be there for at least part of the proceedings. When Trudeau hosted in 2018, Canada's guest list included leaders from "overwhelmingly little countries" with a focus on those facing endangered by rising shorelines like Jamaica, the Marshall Islands and the Seychelles, Kirton said. "Carney's list — it's a great one," Kirton told CBC News. "If you really want to lead the world, and not just the G7 part of the world, then you want the next tier of the biggest leaders there at the table." Leaders will begin to arrive Sunday and then be ferried by helicopter to the summit site. Monday's session will be broadly focused on the economy and "economic peace," and then security matters, government officials said in a background briefing. The second day will be when the non-G7 leaders will be brought in. It's also when Ukraine will be a major focus. Carney personally invited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to discuss a path forward for that war-torn country. Trump has been hostile to Ukraine at times as he pushes for a swift resolution to the war Russia started — but he has largely maintained U.S. military support and anti-Russia sanctions despite some of his tough talk. On trade and Ukraine, the summit's success will depend on what Trump does or does not do, said Fen Hampson, a professor of international relations and the co-chair of the expert group on Canada-U.S. relations at Carleton University. "Even when it comes to his tech bro buddies, things can go sideways pretty quickly," Hampson said. "That's really the big risk here — does the president arrive in a good mood willing to do business, or is he in a bad mood?" While he's not expecting Trump to drop all of his tariffs after a few days in the mountains, Hampson said a U.S. "commitment to work together in a positive way" and revisit trade actions could be spun as a win by Carney. A commitment from Trump to stay the course in Ukraine would also be well-received by Carney and the Europeans in the room, Hampson said. To secure that sort of shift, Europe may commit to dropping policies that irritate Trump, including its digital services tax, while Canada could play up its newfound commitment to a stronger military and more defence spending, longtime U.S. demands, Hampson said. But depending on Trump to play nice is a risky proposition, he said. "Carney is more than just the head waiter at this meeting," Hampson said. "This is going to be a real test of his own negotiating skills." Increasing tensions in the Middle East after Israel launched airstrikes in Iran will further test Carney. Iran fired dozens of missiles toward Israel hours later. "With Israel's attack on Iran, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and Iran-Israel dynamics have to be at least informally on the agenda," University of Ottawa political science professor Thomas Juneau said. "It makes Prime Minister Carney's job way more complicated than it already was." No joint communique Unlike at past G7 summits, Canada is not planning to get all leaders to agree to a joint communique — a sometimes unwieldy list of priorities and accomplishments that all countries agree to sign. Instead, Canada has been working with the other countries ahead of time to secure leaders' approval on a series of short, joint statements focused on concrete actions and outcomes in key areas, a senior government official said ahead of the summit. This strategy could be interpreted as a way to avoid what befell the 2018 G7 meeting Canada hosted in Charlevoix, Que. Trump did not want to sign on to a series of climate change-focused measures — something former prime minister Justin Trudeau made a priority at those talks despite Trump's well-known hostility to environmentalism. The president ultimately agreed to the joint communique while withholding U.S. support for some green measures — but then torpedoed G7 unity entirely in a series of post-summit tweets, saying he was offended by what Trudeau said at a closing news conference. Rather than squabble over policy measures Trump will never support, Carney is focused on getting G7 leaders to coalesce around things that have a reasonable chance of garnering a consensus, a senior government official said. The government is framing this agenda as a more streamlined, focused document than the last one. Trudeau, by comparison, tried to get G7 support for 28 areas of agreement in Charlevoix. Trump may be the sticking point on trade and Ukraine, but Kirton said Carney's program suggests Canada is setting up this meeting to be a success on other issues. "If you're going to hit home runs, you really need the U.S. to go along with you. On many of Mark Carney's priorities, it's easy to see Donald Trump agreeing," he said, referring to defence spending, AI and a move to crack down on deadly drugs like fentanyl. "Carney has said he wants Canada to be a global leader. This is the way to make that happen — if he can pull it all together on the spot."
CBC
an hour ago
- CBC
How the trade war with the U.S. could fix Canada's internet
When life hands you tariffs, fix the internet. At least, that's what Cory Doctorow hopes might happen. Because, he says, Canada's internet is in desperate need of saving. "We created a policy environment that rewards companies and executives who do things that are bad for the internet and bad for internet users, and that does not punish them when they do things that harm us," said Doctorow, a tech journalist, activist, and host of the CBC podcast Understood: Who Broke the Internet?. He believes that the current trade troubles could actually free Canada to fix how it polices the internet — more in line with the rest of the world, but less restrictive than the U.S. That's because the current state of Canada's internet policy is directly connected to trade pressure — specifically tariff threats — surrounding internet and copyright law from the United States decades ago. But since free trade with our southern neighbours is already in turmoil, Doctorow says it's time to unlock our internet by removing laws that benefit big tech companies, and opening up access for users. The start of internet laws Like many countries, Canada's internet laws can be traced back to two treaties from the UN's World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in 1996. It asked signatories to protect copyrights online. Canada signed the two treaties, but wouldn't ratify them until over a decade later. But the U.S. moved quickly and ratified its version of copyright laws in 1999, the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). Michael Geist, a law professor at the University of Ottawa and Canada Research Chair in internet and e-commerce, says the American act heavily favoured copyright holders, but held few protections for users. And the U.S. wanted other countries to follow their lead. "They then oftentimes either use direct bilateral trade pressure or trade agreements to try to take that U.S. position and make it the standard for how you implement a treaty that was otherwise very flexible in nature," said Geist. In 2007, Stephen Harper's Conservative government introduced a bill that Geist says was basically a Canadian version of the DMCA. Geist said that for decades, copyright laws in Canada protected the copyright holder, without limiting how a person could use a product. But the new bill allowed for digital locks on software, which are technologies used to protect copyrighted content and prevent people from tinkering with the program. "This idea that you could use technology, now aided by legislation, to effectively remove or lock users out of what is their rights struck me as enormously problematic," said Geist. What are digital locks, and why do they matter? One example of a digital lock, says Doctorow, is how Apple prevents iPhone users from downloading third-party apps onto the device. Apple says it's for your protection, as it vets the apps in its store to prevent you from downloading anything harmful. But because of the digital lock, Apple is also able to take 30 per cent of the cost of every purchase made on its app store without any competition. And Doctorow says its argument of security doesn't exactly check out. "This is no longer about you trusting Apple and choosing Apple. This is about Apple requiring you to trust them," said Doctorow. "Any time someone puts a lock on something that belongs to you and doesn't give you the key, that lock isn't there for your benefit." Following pushback from Geist and others on the initial proposed bill, the government introduced a new version. But much to Geist's disappointment, it still had those digital locks he was concerned about. The reason? The U.S. threatened that if locks weren't included, Canada could say goodbye to tariff-free trade with the United States. "The U.S. had been clear that it wanted copyright reform, but even more than just any old copyright reform, it wanted U.S.-style legal protections for these digital locks," said Geist. "If there was one thing this legislation was going to do, it was going to remove this ongoing trade irritant with the United States." The bill was pushed through and labelled Bill C-11. And its impact was felt quickly. Doctorow says people working on accessibility software to programs they didn't own, such as screen readers for ebooks, had to stop, because they were worried about what digital locks might be waiting for them. A group that was building tools to access public government data had to halt their work because their lawyers advised them it could get them in trouble. "What happened was you saw a procession of extremely abusive technologies creating the opportunities for extremely high margins at the expense of Canadian consumers. And no Canadian company stepped up to bypass or correct these market failures," said Doctorow. That's because, thanks to digital locks, they legally couldn't. James Moore, the heritage minister at the time, told CBC in an email that he still agrees and supports the bill, saying "Canada has obligations to our trading partners to protect [intellectual property]." What can be done Canada's trade relationship with the U.S. is now more uncertain than ever, thanks to President Donald Trump's unpredictable regime of tariffs. But even though it's a bad situation, Doctorow says, it's an opportunity for Canada to do something it should've done before. Since it was trade pressure that pushed Canada to go above and beyond what the WIPO treaties required, and that trade situation is in flux, Doctorow says Canada has the chance to change its digital copyright laws to something more in line with the rest of the world, and isn't as restrictive as the U.S.'s laws. "We could change our law so that it was only illegal to break a digital lock if you also infringed someone's copyright. You don't have to infringe anyone's copyright to install your own app store on your iPhone," said Doctorow. The European Union moved in this direction in April, by fining Apple 500 million euro ($788-million Cdn) for not allowing third-party app stores on its phones. The fine was issued under the EU's Digital Markets Act, designed to give consumers and businesses more choice and prevent big tech companies from cornering digital markets. This wouldn't just give you more freedom on your phone, says Doctorow. It also means a company like Apple would have to compete with other companies to earn your business. Tinkerers and innovators in Canada could build ways to improve all aspects of how we use the internet, says Doctorow, converting the internet from a walled garden to a public space. But Geist isn't so confident it will happen. "I fear that … in our zeal to deal with the very real threats that we see from Trump on tariffs and on a number of other things with respect to Canada, we'll give on some issues simply because the hope will be that that will be enough to address some of these other concerns that are ultimately seen as even more significant," said Geist.
Winnipeg Free Press
2 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
The Latest: Death toll grows as Israel and Iran trade attacks for third day
The death toll is growing as Israel and Iran exchanged missile attacks for a third consecutive day on Sunday, and Israel is warning that worse is to come. Israel targeted Iran's Defense Ministry headquarters in Tehran and sites it alleged were associated with Iran's nuclear program, while Iranian missiles evaded Israeli air defenses and slammed into buildings deep inside Israel. The region braced for a drawn-out conflict after Israel's strikes hit nuclear and military facilities, killing several senior generals and top nuclear scientists. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump also had a warning for Tehran, saying it can expect 'the full strength and might of the U.S. Armed Forces' if it retaliates against the United States. Trump insisted that Washington had nothing to do with Israel's attack on Iran. Israel launched its attacks after weeks of escalating tensions between Israel and Iran over Iran's nuclear program. Iran announced Thursday that it planned to activate a third nuclear enrichment facility shortly after the U.N. nuclear watchdog censured Iran for failing to comply with nonproliferation obligations. ___ Here's the latest: Death toll grows in Israel At least 10 people in Israel were killed in Iranian strikes overnight and into Sunday, according to Israel's Magen David Adom rescue service, bringing the country's total death toll to 13. At least six people, including two children, were killed when a missile hit an apartment building in Bat Yam, near Tel Aviv. Daniel Hadad, a local police commander, said 180 people were wounded and seven are still missing. An Associated Press reporter saw streets lined with damaged and destroyed buildings, bombed out cars and shards of glass. Responders used a drone at points to look for survivors. Some people could be seen leaving the area with suitcases. Four people were killed when a missile struck a building in the northern Israeli town of Tamra, and another 24 were wounded. A strike on the central city of Rehovot wounded 42 people. Explosions in Tehran New explosions echoed across Tehran and were reported elsewhere in the country early Sunday, but there was no update to a death toll put out the day before by Iran's U.N. ambassador, who said 78 people had been killed and more than 320 wounded. Semiofficial Iranian news agencies reported that an Israeli drone strike had caused a 'strong explosion' at an Iranian natural-gas processing plant, in what could be the first Israeli attack on Iran's oil and natural gas industry. Israel's military did not immediately comment. World leaders are issuing urgent calls to deescalate. But Israeli's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel's strikes so far are 'nothing compared to what they will feel under the sway of our forces in the coming days.' Trump warns Tehran not to target U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. had 'nothing to do with the attack on Iran' and warned Tehran against targeting U.S. interests in retaliation. 'If we are attacked in any way, shape or form by Iran, the full strength and might of the U.S. Armed Forces will come down on you at levels never seen before. However, we can easily get a deal done between Iran and Israel, and end this bloody conflict!!!' Trump wrote on Truth Social late Saturday. Sundays Kevin Rollason's Sunday newsletter honouring and remembering lives well-lived in Manitoba. Nuclear talks called off Planned talks on Iran's nuclear program, which could provide an off-ramp, have been called off. The Arab Gulf country of Oman, which has been mediating indirect talks between the U.S. and Iran over Tehran's nuclear program, said a sixth round planned for Sunday would not take place. Iran's top diplomat, Abbas Araghchi, said Saturday that the nuclear talks were 'unjustifiable' after Israel's strikes, which he said were the 'result of the direct support by Washington.' Iran has always said its nuclear program was peaceful, and the U.S. and others have assessed it has not pursued a weapon since 2003. But it has enriched ever larger stockpiles of uranium to near weapons-grade levels in recent years and was believed to have been able to develop multiple weapons within months if it chose to do so.
