PALM BEACH, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 30: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks to a reporter while exiting the Delta Hotels by Marriott West Palm Beach on November 30, 2024 in Palm Beach, Florida. Trudeau arrived at Mar-a-Lago for an unannounced visit with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump after the president-elect threatened to impose sweeping tariffs on Canadian products. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images) PARIS, FRANCE - DECEMBER 7: French President Emmanuel Macron (not pictured) meets with President-Elect Donald Trump at the Elysee Palace on December 7, 2024 in Paris, France. Donald Trump was among the wave of foreign dignitaries descending on Paris this weekend to attend a reopening ceremony at Notre-Dame Cathedral, more than five years after it was damaged in a major fire. (Photo by Oleg Nikishin/Getty Images)
Photo by Brandon Bell/Oleg Nikishin/Getty Images

‘Trump caved again’: Prime Minister Trudeau and President Trump dodge a trade war after tariff talks

President Donald Trump avoided a trade war with Canada after negotiating stricter border regulations with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Many online refuse to credit the president for this victory.

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In a recent tweet from Trudeau, Canada is committed to implementing its $1.3 billion border plan. Through this, the US-Canada border will be reinforced through increased resources, new choppers, and technology. 10,000 personnel will be stationed to protect the border. Aside from all this, Canada made a bold move to list cartels as terrorists and intends to appoint a ‘Fentanyl Czar.’ What the latter’s mandate would mean in terms of curbing drug flow in Canada is unknown for now. Nevertheless, proposed tariffs on both sides will be paused for 30 days. Canada, like the other countries Trump threatened with tariffs, isn’t in the clear yet—but this is a small victory.

Many social media users thanked Trudeau for standing up to Trump. One wrote on X, “So, Trump caved again. Thank you for standing up to him.” Other social media users egged on Trump’s blunder even further, citing the sharp fall of the S&P 500 in the stock market after the tariffs were announced. As one X user puts it, “Canada largely called Trump’s bluff. Stock markets tanked this morning because of the tariffs coming on Tuesday, and Trump had to cave.”

Diplomacy wins

Meanwhile, some Trump supporters claim that it was Trudeau who caved to Trump’s threats. They uphold the belief that allies are dispensable. After all, Trump has been peddling the notion that other countries—friend or foe—had been “ripping off” the United States for years. Never mind that this proposed border policy from Trudeau had been launched ahead of Trump’s presidency in December 2024. Never mind that the proposed border policy from Trudeau had been proposed ahead of Trump’s presidency, in December 2024. It seems that a cordial dialogue is incomprehensible to those who only see the language of force as an option. This isn’t “caving,” it’s called negotiating. Simply put, both parties have to make concessions in order to get what they want.

Regardless, Trudeau managed with the hand he was dealt. He responded with tariffs of his own, and Trump became magically amenable to the border solution that Canada proposed months ahead. What truly matters is that these tariffs were avoided for the sake of Americans and Canadians alike.


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Vanessa Esguerra
Vanessa Esguerra (She/They) has been a Contributing Writer for The Mary Sue since 2023. After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Economy, she (happily) rejected law school in 2021 and has been a full-time content writer since. Vanessa is currently taking her Master's degree in Japanese Studies in hopes of deepening her understanding of the country's media culture in relation to pop culture, women, and queer people like herself. She speaks three languages but still manages to get lost in the subways of Tokyo with her clunky Japanese. Fueled by iced coffee brewed from local cafés in Metro Manila, she also regularly covers anime and video games while queuing for her next match in League of Legends.