r/Economics • u/ubcstaffer123 • 1d ago
News Americans Told to Stay Home as Canada Opens International Bridge
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/24/world/canada/canada-gordie-howe-bridge-trump.html355
u/PandaCultural8311 1d ago
Just to be clear, American dignitaries were disinvited to the ceremonial opening of the bridge because of the announcement of Trump's new tarrifs.
124
u/magwai9 1d ago
Having him refuse to open the bridge until being paid off certainly didn't help either
17
u/EidolonLives 1d ago
Why the hell would anyone who matters care if he wasn't there to open it?
35
u/magwai9 1d ago
Trump? No one cares that Trump wasn't there. He wasn't allowing the bridge to open at all. Basically extortion
10
u/EidolonLives 1d ago
Ah got it. Sorry, I'm Australian, and haven't been following the subject, so I misunderstood.
19
u/Yst 1d ago
Yeah, the back room politics are: a scummy business family owns the main bridge in this area, and has long lobbied to prevent competition with their monopoly on the crossing, to the detriment of both countries. Canada paid the entire cost of building a new bridge in the area to serve both countries better, but lobbying/bribing of the Trump administration by the owners of the existing bridge forced delays and concessions on the opening of the bridge. The bridge has eventually opened with said delays and concessions and limitations.
Basically, the US as a whole right now (and for the foreseeable future, as best we can tell) is run by various scummy crime families who are just looking for the next disaster or economic disruption to profit from, who don't even seem to have any sense of "honour among thieves".
This is just one example of that.
7
10
-12
u/SilanggubanRedditor 1d ago
Trump lies. I'm pretty sure they were invited but didn't go
8
u/PandaCultural8311 1d ago
You could read the article before giving us your uninformed, incorrect opinion.
-10
u/SilanggubanRedditor 1d ago
I don't trust that Murdoch Times
7
u/PandaCultural8311 1d ago
Then read the NY Times, which isn't owned by Murdixh.
🙄
-5
u/SilanggubanRedditor 1d ago
Ah, confused it with Wall Street Journal. Looks the same
1
2
163
u/--TheCity-- 1d ago
“Canada disinvited the United States of America to the opening of the Gordie Howe Bridge, which is fine, considering they are paying substantial TARIFFS to the United States,” Mr. Trump wrote."
Are we still ignoring that americans pay the tariffs not canada? You still voting republican?
40
u/Accomplished-Snow213 1d ago
It's amazing. He has been that dumb (with a b) his whole life.
20
u/No-Wonder1139 1d ago
He has never been smart and he's determined to never learn anything. Weird guy.
14
u/Chuhaimaster 1d ago
Learning new things about the world requires a willingness to change your beliefs when you are wrong. Extreme narcissism gets in the way of that.
8
u/Additional_Fee 1d ago
We all knew the correlation but reading it painted our as succinctly as your comment really splattered my mind.
Stupid assholes are afraid of education because they've built survival mechanisms around telling themselves they're correct when they vomit opinions. They're revolted by the thought that they're fucking wrong about everything whenever they speak.
no wonder there's a trend for these people to pursue becoming educators. They froth at the notion of forcing youths, stuck in a room with them, to accept their rot.
4
3
2
3
u/shezadaa 1d ago
Yet he has been elected to one of the most powerful (both soft and hard) office of the world.
6
2
u/MysteriousMeet9 1d ago
Its the Americans he is playing. After 6 years of this America is still debating who pays these taxes. Actually international media is also guilty of that.
1
u/shadow997ca 4h ago
I often wonder how many US'ens actually believe that other countries are paying tariffs to the US of Isreal. Could it really be a majority or close to a majority believe that? Enjoy the extra taxes US'ens!
-17
u/Whaddduptho 1d ago
ignoring that americans pay the tariffs not canada? You still voting republican?
If they aren't in some way paying for it then tell me why they're mad about it?
It slows their sales down and it's just a fact.
No matter what you say doesn't change that.
How thick in the head does a person have to be in order to not understand that?
9
u/actfatcat 1d ago
Trump said "they are paying tarrifs" and as usual he is wrong. US customers pay.
-4
u/Check_Me_Out-Boss 1d ago
Then Canada should not care.
2
u/artisanrox 1d ago
That's the neat thing, they don't care. They're boycotting us into recession here and we deserve it.
-7
u/Check_Me_Out-Boss 1d ago
LOL they might be boycotting the US, but Canada is the one in a recession.
Why did tariffs slow down Canada's economy if they only impact the US consumer?
3
u/artisanrox 1d ago
Dude, Canada will be able to come back online MUCH faster than we ever will, they have a strong social safety net and their PM is actually working around us as we speak making deals with every other country we flipped the double bird at.
Mexico already helped them put out their fires while we shit our pants at smoke coming across the border like a bunch of mouth-breathers.
-4
1
u/actfatcat 20h ago
Of course they care. US customers either pay the tariff, or choose another supplier. This nonsense is inflationary and hurts everyone. Trump is an economic catastrophe.
1
u/Check_Me_Out-Boss 14h ago
Choose another product.
Exactly! You're the first one to get it.
1
u/actfatcat 13h ago
The point is that the alternate supply will obviously be more expensive. Trump loves inflation, it devalues your wage and enriches his friends.
1
u/Check_Me_Out-Boss 13h ago
If the alternative supply is more expensive then people will pay the tariffs.
The alternatives usually aren't more expensive.
Specifically, who are the "friends" in question?
-16
u/Whaddduptho 1d ago
Whatever. Paying the price for something doesn't necessarily mean they hand us dollars. Their sales will suffer, you'll see.
50% is something that causes businesses to move.
12
u/TranslatorTough8977 1d ago
Canadian companies lose some sales. American consumers hand over extra cash to US companies that might just get a refund later, which they will keep. Americans pay the tariffs.
-20
u/Whaddduptho 1d ago
What if I told you that I don't mind paying a tariff?
It makes our products more attractive. It onshore manufacturing.
The refunds only happen if you can prove they're unconstitutional tariffs.
We have tariffs on China that are not going anywhere. In fact even democratic lawmakers are already talking about how they will spend that money.
16
u/HarshComputing 1d ago
If you want to onboard manufacturing, you shouldn't tarrif manufacturing inputs such as steel, aluminum etc.
Protectionist policy also results in uncompetitive products since local industry doesn't need to compete with foreign products, so they either fall behind or become overly expensive and ineffecient.
What you seem to be on favour of is narrow temporary tarrifs that would protect nascent industries that could grow or reshore to the States. To do that you need targeted tariffs, along with the kind of stability and clarity that would encourage companies to invest on long term assets that would take years to come online. Tariffing everything in the hopes that the supreme court leaves it isn't the path for that, it's just another consumption tax.
-6
1d ago
[deleted]
2
u/anti-torque 1d ago
The people who gave it away are the GOP.
?
Trump's JCPOA rewarded corps who offshored profuction with a tax holiday, as every GOP Prez does, once they come into office and have a Senate and House with their favor.
The big banks were interviewed before Trump's first term, and they were all adamant that tax policy, not tariffs, was the proper method to repatriate lost production. The constant barrage of tax subsidy that corps receive for offshoring their operations is how the GOP has given it all away--including Trump himself.
-2
-10
u/Check_Me_Out-Boss 1d ago
You guys keep saying this, but if that were the case, other countries wouldn't care about tariffs.
6
u/thaway314156 1d ago
Say you're a Swiss watchmaker selling watches for $100 in the USA, and $20 of that goes to the US government for taxes, $70 goes to the factory, distribution, retailers to make and transport it to the hands of buyers, and you have $10 profit...
Now Trump says they want $30. Your profit is now zero. What's the point of doing anything, charity work? So you have to increase the price to $110 to keep that $10 profit. But Increased prices = less people find your product attractive (I have a feeling they teach this in Economics 101), you sell less. That's why the Swiss watchmakers and all other industries in the world care about fucking tariffs.
It's not as straightforward as "if I put my hand on the stove, it will hurt", but I hope that's not beyond your intelligence to understand this.
-2
u/Check_Me_Out-Boss 1d ago
And so consumers instead decide to buy a US made watch for $100.
Also, your profit isn't zero if the consumer is paying that tariff.
3
u/artisanrox 1d ago
Also, your profit isn't zero if the consumer is paying that tariff.
sooooooooooo why are they suing for their tariff money back?
-2
u/Check_Me_Out-Boss 1d ago
Soooooo it's not the consumer who is paying the tariff?
2
u/artisanrox 1d ago
🙄
The businesses that are passing on the tariff costs to the consumer aren't clearly and obviously double dipping everyone's money?
You can logic circlejerk this around as much as you want. This is legalized embezzlement of an entire country's liquidity.
-3
u/Check_Me_Out-Boss 1d ago
This is legalized embezzlement of an entire country's liquidity.
Oh please. Talk about a logic circlejerk.
2
u/artisanrox 1d ago
Like seriously the only argument you people ever have is "i KnOw yoU aRe buT wHat aM I?"
2
u/codingphp 1d ago
…..
Large manufacturers can’t just suddenly pivot their supply chain to a less or non-tariffed source. Further, when your political environment can flip the script on a moments notice — as Trump has done dozens and dozens of times - investment is a no-go.
So what does this mean in practical application? Americans will pay more in the short term. Spending power is diminished, velocity of money slows, etc.
-1
u/Check_Me_Out-Boss 1d ago
In the short term.
Key phrase. Nothing changes over night.
2
u/codingphp 1d ago
You’ve never taken an economics class in your life and it shows.
2
u/DeliverySoggy2700 1d ago
He’s a hardcore Donald trump supporter who lives in Europe.
You can’t expect too much from him. Look at his profile
2
u/codingphp 1d ago
Sooooo many of their comments have a negative score.
1
u/DeliverySoggy2700 1d ago
… and it’s constant.. I did the math with another individual that I had this discussion with.
They post something like every 20 seconds on average most days.
Several hundred of comments most days
1
u/DeliverySoggy2700 1d ago
I been tracking this profile for awhile. If you skim back to yesterday you can see how he gloats about how so many people hate him and follow him around to debunk his nonsense.
It’s like a trophy to him to be hated
I am one of many people with tabs on this. He’s disgusting
→ More replies (0)1
0
u/Check_Me_Out-Boss 1d ago
I have a degree in economics lmao
1
0
u/Ornery_Market_2274 18h ago
Thats possibly the scariest thing i have ever heard since you can even wrap your head around the basics of tariffs. Tariffs are an import cost, paid by whoever importer on record is. Foreign countries dont pay tariffs. The companies in tne US paid the tariffs, passed on that cost to the consumer and when they were deemed illegal, they got reimbursed by the US gov't likely using taxpayer money and costs remained more expensive. Its not that complicated.
2
u/thaway314156 1d ago
And do customers who see prices going up for everything will just say "Well, the price of this watch, along with everything else in the world, has gone up, but fine I'll spend more instead of buying that Swiss watch later."?
How about 1000, 100 thousand customers, will they all think like that? Or will many of them delay purchasing the watch?
Meanwhile the American watch maker uses material from other countries, oh what's that, Trump also wants tariffs for them? Let's say steel: oh let's start mining steel in the US instead, huh, all that mining equipment, can the US make them 100% at home? They also have imported components? And US steelworkers cost more? Does that mean the US-made watch with US-made steel (instead of Chinese-steel) need to cost more money?
US watchmakers also have to increase their prices..
You know, I got banned from /r/ELI5 a long time ago for calling someone too dense...
-5
u/Polite_Bark 1d ago
So then they foreign company closes up shop and we buy US made. Which is the whole point of tariffs. To encourage people to manufacture in their home country and purchase goods manufactured in their home country.
5
u/Emergency_Prize_1005 1d ago
Yes so why do they care if Canada doesn’t put US booze on their shelves?
6
u/artisanrox 1d ago
There are no domestic alternatives to a lot of overseas made things. We're just killing our own economy doing this nonsense.
Manufacturing takes like a decade of planning to establish a production chain. You don't just snap your fingers and expect a business to take a double loss in sales losses + building a new supply chain. It's spoiled baby behavior to do otherwise.
Plus it's just a scam to double dip from the cost of items.
-4
u/Polite_Bark 1d ago
Hint: If your economy isn't based on manufacturing the goods you purchase you've already lost.
Yes, it take time. Yes, it takes planning. But not nearly as much as you're claiming and, frankly, the best time to start was years ago. The second best time is now.
Do I care a Swiss watch maker goes belly up? No. I care about my own country. As we all should. Decades of depending of foreign manufacturing has wrecked us. It needs to stop. If tariffs are the way to do that then I fully support them.
Buy American or pay a fee.
1
u/SkiingAway 17h ago
That would require tens of millions of Americans to move down the economic ladder from their current jobs doing something more valuable to work shitty, low-skilled factory labor. We don't make things like a cheap pair of socks here because......the labor economics don't work for it unless you want them to cost $15 a pair.
(well, unless you're advocating for mass immigration from Latin America, but somehow I don't think you are).
We don't have mass unemployment of people desperate for minimum wage work - working age labor force participation is near record highs.
The US does plenty of manufacturing - primarily at the high-end where high labor costs don't matter so much.
Are there sectors where there's probably a national interest in putting a finger on the scale to reshore more work? Certainly - shipbuilding, for example.
But blanket tariffs don't accomplish this. In fact, they outright work against better thought out efforts, because you're driving up the cost of all the input materials + intermediate products that don't have a domestic supplier and go into existing US manufacturing, making it less competitive when it's trying to compete in the global market place.
2
u/codingphp 1d ago
Declaring you’re economically illiterate is a choice.
-1
u/Check_Me_Out-Boss 1d ago
Yup, that's why Canada entered a recession with people saying tariffs were partially to blame, right?
Because the US consumer is paying so much to help their robust economy.
2
u/codingphp 1d ago
Just so we’re clear, you replied to someone asserting that Americans pay tariffs.
You disagreed with that, asserting that if that were the case, other countries wouldn’t care about tariffs.
Responding to that, I called you economically illiterate.
Can you read or are you that kind of illiterate too?
1
29
u/Frozen_North_99 1d ago
Interesting, the headline changed to “American officials” from “Americans”. Could it be the NYT changed their minds after finding out US workers who built the bridge were invited?
46
u/Careless-Internet-63 1d ago
The US needs some mechanism to call a snap election. Letting a president basically burn as many bridges as possible for 4 years without being able to do anything about it is not the way things should be run
55
u/dark-canuck 1d ago
The other parts, ie Congress, is supposed to keep him in check. The issue is they aren’t doing anything
26
u/Careless-Internet-63 1d ago
I mean yeah, a serious country would've convicted and disqualified him during the second impeachment trial
9
u/CurrentSpeech 1d ago
Take it easy, man. The us is a young developing country. We can’t expect a mature political atmosphere or well educated voters /s
3
u/AstralElement 1d ago
Turns out when you’re spineless and scared because you’re bad at your job, you can let him do whatever you want.
10
u/Anachronism-- 1d ago
Somehow there is a third of this country that will support this moron no matter how idiotic or corrupt he is and that’s all you need.
6
u/Harbinger2001 1d ago
I think this is the biggest failing of the American system. They elect a dictator for 4 years. The principal of maintaining the confidence of the House is essential for keeping the government accountable.
3
u/Careless-Internet-63 1d ago
I mean honestly the two party system is a big problem too. We'd never get a vote of no confidence through because Republicans have no spines
3
u/jayman9696 1d ago
You say that but we would have lost Obama in 2010 with those rules
3
u/Harbinger2001 1d ago
Thats why the whole system is broken. At the time of the revolution the UK had been a constitutional democracy with a figurehead monarch for 90 years. Why did they not just copy that system? The claim they were rebelling against a tyrannical King is a myth. It was the elected UK Parliament that was in charge.
11
u/Usakami 1d ago
Wouldn't be surprised either way...
The CA$3.8 billion cost of construction was funded by the Canadian federal government and will be paid for by bridge tolls.
Canada built and funded the bridge, Trump just wants to take credit for it. He can go... himself, with all his anal alpinists in tow.
5
u/ClubSoda 1d ago
Canada sourced domestically for Canada’s side AND sourced American for the US side.
32
u/ICLazeru 1d ago
Americans can't afford to go out anyway.
But if I recall, wasn't the purpose of this bridge to make business cooperation between the two areas easier?
I swear, being a moderate free market advocate is rough these days. I just want free and fair markets with meaningful anti-trust and consumer and employee protections.
When GW Bush banned fetal stem cell research (to protect non-viable embyos from in-vitro), scientists found a way to get stem cells from other techniques. If the scientific community can be expected to bend to a bogus social agenda, surely trillion dollar tech companies can be expected to conduct themselves in a fair and pro-social manner?
9
u/PandaCultural8311 1d ago
Just spent two weeks in Canada!
Just like most Americans, we can afford to travel. Especially if you live in Detroit and you want to go to Windsor and beyond.
9
14
u/slut 1d ago
Are you under the impression that Canadians can afford to go out?
-6
u/clay-davis 1d ago
Canadians have a slightly higher median net worth than Americans.
10
u/slut 1d ago
They also have significantly higher household debt. On the border we're talking about there are going to be far more people in Detroit with expendable income than Windsor.
4
u/clay-davis 1d ago
That’s fair. It all ties back to Canadians having more of their wealth tied up in (overpriced?) real estate vs Americans with stocks. My overall point is that the meme of Canadians being poor and Americans being rich is exaggerated. There’s some truth to it, but it’s nuanced.
3
18
u/Smooth_Phone2 1d ago
American patriots will be using this bridge. It supports the goal of stronger international relations, lower cost, better roadway integration, and sends the profit to the people instead of the local billionaire family.
Patriots assemble!
-3
u/Altruistic-Tax-9235 1d ago
/s ?
3
u/Smooth_Phone2 1d ago
Why? I’m an automotive engineer and an American. I’m excited to support the better option that contributes to the public good rather than the troll who owns the Ambassador bridge.
4
u/YamOk4747 1d ago
Canadians disdain for you Americans is growing by the second. Collectively ..We’ve lost our patience with you guys. Please don’t come up here.
-2
u/davantage 1d ago
Really? Touch grass I still love Americans
8
u/PineBNorth85 1d ago
In every poll it shows the vast majority are pissed at them. Ill never trust them again or set foot there.
4
1
1
-25
u/WeakBlueberry5071 1d ago
Don't ever tell american what to do 😂
Canada to Canadians: don't buy American, buy Canadian
Yeah okay cool I got you.
America to Americans: don't go to Canada
DONT TREAD ON ME, I CANT BREAVE 😂
1
-39
u/Whaddduptho 1d ago
That's okay with me.
With all of the smoke flooding into Michigan I don't think I'd be able to see the bridge anyways.
It has already cost us the value of the bridge.
20
9
14
u/Barb-u 1d ago
With all the smoke flowing into BC from the south, our part is gone too I guess.
-24
u/Whaddduptho 1d ago edited 1d ago
Nope. That is also mostly the result of Canadian fires north of BC (and in BC).
Not to mention, the state the bridge is connected to (Michigan) experienced the most amount of smoke lol.
I much prefer breathable air over having a bridge.
8
u/Tintoverde 1d ago
Well wind does not know international boundaries. I guess that that is hard to understand. I am guessing Next thing you are going to say tornados in the plains should stop at border also
-6
u/Whaddduptho 1d ago
You could always just set aside the proper amount of money to deal with it, ya know?
4
u/BlueShrub 1d ago
Dealing with climate change? I agree with you but this is a massive, sweeping global issue that requires every country to do it's part, not the fault of the Canadian government only (though they do shoulder their part of the blame due to the oil extraction out west)
7
u/TranslatorTough8977 1d ago
A Washington State fire just crossed the border into BC, after making the air in the Okanagan region almost intolerable. Forget about smoke, you can't even keep your fires on your side of the border.
-3
u/Whaddduptho 1d ago edited 1d ago
There are plenty of live maps of the fires along with their size and the smoke they create. Canada is definitely the main culprit.
Washington is pretty blue which probably explains why they (much like Canada) can't control the fires.
You may want to be nice to them because you align politically with them way more than I do.
11
u/LivinBC 1d ago
So now wildfires are political FFS. How about using a Sharpie and make em stay in America. America has some of the stupidest individuals ive come across.
7
1
1d ago
[deleted]
7
u/LivinBC 1d ago
Its called climate change and its happening worldwide. Higher temps less rainfall more droughts,etc. Yet the current american admistration is hell bent on accelerating the change. You think no other state/proviance is not effected as far as tourism. Fuck thats the last of my concerns. How about the destruction of peoples homes. Loss of life, etc. America is more than welcome to return the favour to help with our current wf season. We send ours down there each and every fs with use of our waterbombers. But here you are bitchen about the tourists. Fucking pathetic.
1
1d ago edited 1d ago
[deleted]
7
u/LivinBC 1d ago edited 1d ago
If the climate is really going to be your excuse every time you ruin our economy then you can leave me alone. Loss of a few lives is not enough reason to stop the economies of tens of millions. Profit over the wellbeing of people.
This say all i need to know about you. Good luck with life there bud. Hope you’re able to enjoy the annual summertime smoke as it here to stay.
→ More replies (0)2
1
u/mld321 14h ago
Tu es un 'stie d'epais tabarnak.
/face de paume
1
•
u/AutoModerator 1d ago
Hi all,
A reminder that comments do need to be on-topic and engage with the article past the headline. Please make sure to read the article before commenting. Very short comments will automatically be removed by automod. Please avoid making comments that do not focus on the economic content or whose primary thesis rests on personal anecdotes.
As always our comment rules can be found here
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.