If Trump backed compensation for descendants of US slaves, Western liberals might consider bringing slavery back

Canada’s worsening trade dispute with the United States is prompting Ottawa to look toward Europe, according to a column that presents the shift as a rebuke to Donald Trump’s treatment of its northern neighbor.

The dispute escalated after both countries imposed tariffs on important products. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney reportedly withdrew from negotiations at the last moment because the United States insisted on provisions that Ottawa considered unacceptable, including limits on Canada’s trade agreements with other countries and requirements concerning bilingual labeling.

The column portrays Canada’s decision as a refusal to become either a formal or economic “51st state.” It acknowledges that European Union membership is not a realistic option, but points to closer cooperation as a practical possibility. Carney is due to address the European Parliament in about two weeks and attend European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s State of the Union speech as an honorary guest.

Canada has already become the first non-European country to participate in a new joint EU arms procurement program. The column says Ottawa appears interested in deepening that cooperation, while the EU is likely to welcome the move and promote free trade with Canada.

That enthusiasm sits uneasily alongside the history of the EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement. CETA was signed in 2016 but remains only partly implemented because 17 of the EU’s 27 members have ratified it. France has been particularly protectionist, with its Senate rejecting ratification in March 2024 by 211 votes to 44. The column concludes that the current rapprochement is mainly a shared response to Trump, rather than evidence of firm long-term economic conviction.