Kanada muss im Vorfeld der Handelsgespräche standhaft bleiben, sagt Unifor-Präsident; Payne sagt, sie wolle nicht, dass Kanada überstürzt einen Deal abschließt

**In Brief:**

* As Canada approaches a review of its key free trade deal with the United States next year, Unifor national president Lana Payne says it’s important to stand firm for a good deal.
* Payne says she’s troubled by the views of some in the business community who have pushed to reach trade deals quickly. She says rushing into a deal at any cost is „absolutely the most terrible approach to negotiations,“ and Canada has to remember it has leverage in these talks.
* Prime Minister Mark Carney said last week that Canada will enter into formal discussions with the U.S. in January to review their free trade agreement.
* Washington’s trade representative says a coming review of the Canada-U.S.-Mexico trade deal, also known as CUSMA, will hinge on resolving concerns about Canadian policies on dairy products, alcohol and digital services.
* Canada has also been in talks with the U.S. on sectoral tariffs that have hit industries like autos, forestry and metal production especially hard.
* Payne said it’s important to play hardball, and not allow tariffs to be legitimized in any form. Instead, Canada needs to hold out and let the „self-inflicted wounds“ of tariffs create pressure instead.
* She added that Canada is dealing with a „very unpredictable character“ in Trump, including the potential that he will decide to withdraw the U.S. from the trade deal, meaning Canada needs to be ready for a range of possibilities.

So is our car industry destroyed now or what? I know Honda is still going strong but other than that?

There’s no going back to the previous level of trade integration. There will be economic pain that must be endured regardless of the outcome of the CUSMA review. Total capitulation to American demands is not the solution, despite what many on the right will try to tell you.

Couldn’t care less anymore. Not only have I not been financially impacted at all, my net worth from my overall investment portfolio (including approximately half of which is in the US) is well up since a year ago at this time. And since I’m already able to early retire (and have been for the past four years) and haven’t needed to work at all in that time, any job losses don’t impact me at all.

Just live your life and enjoy it.

No deal is likely better than any deal Trump would accept because fair is a loss in his eyes.