Published:September 17, 2026
Project: Mission Canada
Ever since Donald Trump was reelected in 2024 and started talking about Canada as a 51st state, cross border trade has been a sore point. But in recent weeks, there has been great urgency as the United States slapped tariffs on many goods and the fate of CUSMA hangs in the balance. PM Mark Carney has said “America is trying to break us so that they can own us.” So what can Canada really do to diversify its trade and thrive next to a suddenly unfriendly neighbour? Host Michael Serpaio talks to Canada’s former chief trade negotiator and PPF Fellow Steve Verheul about his new report From Reliance to Resilience and what could happen next.
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Read Verheul’s report for PPF below.
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Inez Jabalpurwala, President and CEO of the Public Policy Forum
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