Since his inauguration in January of 2025, President Donald Trump has levied Tariffs on Canada. As these tariffs continue to threaten their economy, Canadians have found a way to fight back.
As Jack Eichel and Brayden Point lined up against each other at center ice to take the opening face-off, their minds were focused on one thing: winning possession of the puck. Their teammates, however, had other ideas. Before the puck even hit the ice, Matthew Tkachuk of Team USA and Brandon Hagel of Team Canada’s gloves were on the ice as they threw punch after punch, only ending when the referees pulled them apart. That was one of three fights that occurred in the opening nine seconds of the round robin match of the Four Nations Tournament on February 15, 2025 between Team USA and Team Canada. This game between the two neighbouring nations had been one of the most highly anticipated hockey games of the last decade, as fans were excited to see world class hockey for the first time since 2016.
However, there was a deeper and more pressing reason for this anticipation; one large enough to cause then-Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, to appear at the game. Just weeks before the game, U.S. President Donald Trump had implemented a 25% tariff on imports from Canada, as The White House cited national emergency powers and justified the move by bringing up concerns about fentanyl trafficking from Canada into the U.S. While many Americans viewed Trump’s accompanying jokes about making Canada the 51st state as unserious, Canadians felt differently as their livelihoods, their economy, and their national sovereignty all felt under threat.
Since 1815, the United States and Canada have been closely tied to each other, not just in terms of physical location, but also with matters such as trade, foreign policy, and societal norms. The two nations have collaborated on many projects together, from NORAD’s aerospace defense to managing shared waterways. This historically close relationship made Trump’s dismissive statements and tariff implementation all the more offensive.
Economic Reality Behind the Outrage
The relationship between Canada and the United States is intertwined to a degree that makes many other international relationships look distant by comparison. More than three quarters of Canada’s exports go to the U.S., and almost $3.6 billion worth of Canadian goods enter through American borders daily. Due to these facts alone, it can be shown that this arrangement is more than a typical economic interaction. In this relationship, products will often cross the border a few times during manufacturing, such as in the automobile manufacturing industry, with parts being shipped back and forth across the shared border before completion.
Under this system, a car that is supposedly “made in America”, such as a Tesla, will likely contain parts made in Canada, as 69% of Tesla’s parts are from the U.S. or Canada. For example, a car could be started in Ontario, completed in Michigan, and then sold in Toronto. Many Canadian products that are essential to the automotive industry have been hit with a 35% tariff, while steel and aluminum are at 50%, although Trump has yet to clarify which goods will fall under the 35% tariff.
Last August, Trump increased the tariff on Canada from 25% to 35%, citing Canada’s failure to deal with Canadian-made fentanyl crossing the border into the U.S. The impact on Canadians has been rough, with the unemployment rate, specifically in the Ontario auto industry, reaching its highest level in nine years.
Trump and his supporters would argue that Canada hasn’t been pulling its weight in the trade relationship. While this statement is technically true, Canada was never meant to equal America’s economic capabilities. To expect Canada with a population of 41.2 million people to match the USA, a country of 340.1 million people and the world’s highest GDP, economic output is delusional. What President Trump fails to understand is that the U.S.-Canada trade relationship allows the United States to essentially have a second place where their economic interests are prioritized without they themselves having to administer the land and the people, which is endlessly beneficial to American industry.
Furthermore, the tariffs aren’t just hurting Canada. Despite Trump’s message about making Canada pay, the reality of the tariffs is that American companies and consumers are forced to deal with the costs as well. The imported Canadian lumber that used to build American houses has become more expensive. The Canadian hydro electricity that accounts for much of the American border states, like Maine and Minnesota’s, power now costs more. Canadian travel to the U.S. is now down 31% this year, and exports of American spirits to Canada are down by 85%
Sports as a Proxy
With the Trump administration un-willing to budge, and military pressure wildly out of the question due to the mutual respect of the two nations and sheer power of the American military, Canadians have found other ways to express their frustration: on the ice, on the diamond, and in the stands. Sports has become a proxy war where honor and national pride could be defended.
The three fights in the opening nine seconds of the USA-Canada Four Nations Face-Off game weren’t just for the love of the game; they were clear statements. In hockey, fighting is seen as a way to self-police the game, so the immediate fights were clear messages sent by Team Canada that neither the team, nor the country, is okay with being pushed around.
The intensity throughout the tournament made the games highly popular for viewers, with Canada beating team USA 3-2 in the finals with an overtime goal from Edmonton Oilers’ captain Connor McDavid. For Canadians watching, it was no doubt more than just a big goal, it was a moment of national pride, all the more symbolic that the game was won at T.D. Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. Canadian fans made their voices heard throughout the tournament, booing the “Star Spangled Banner,” which alerted and offended many Americans to the situation.
These tensions have extended beyond hockey, with the 2025 World Series concluding on Saturday, November 1. This year, for the first time since 1993, the Toronto Blue Jays made it to the baseball finale. Although they were viewed as heavy underdogs to the Los Angeles Dodgers led by phenomenon Shohei Ohtani, the country of Canada united behind their MLB team. This series provided another chance for Canada to prove itself against America.
The animosity boiled over in dramatic fashion, with the series extending to game 7 in Toronto. When Blue Jays shortstop Andrés Giménez was hit by a pitch, a bench-clearing brawl ensued between the teams.
The Blue Jays, despite being a dark horse team the whole season, pushed through to the world series, taking out the Yankees, often seen as “America’s team”, and the Mariners on the way. Despite their eventual loss to the Dodgers, they arguably did something more important than winning a title. They managed to unite a country and provide hope in a tough situation.
The TV advertisement
Perhaps the best example of how sports and politics have become inseparable between the two nations is the advertisement that was run by the Ontario government on American television. The ad, commissioned by Ontario premier Doug Ford, aired during Game One of the World Series. The one-minute- and-three-second video played a Ronald Reagan speech, in which he explains the harmful effects of tariffs. This clever advertisement forced Trump supporters to question whether or not their leader is making the right decision, and whether or not he is upholding the values of the Republican party. To the dismay of Prime Minister Mark Carney, Trump’s reaction was less than positive, as he increased the tariff by 10% and halted trade talks with Canada, calling the advertisement “FAKE” in a Truth Social post.
Trump’s immature reaction reflects a clear self-interest, and not that of his country, as he continued to label the advertisement as “fraudulent” and “a serious misrepresentation of the facts.” That billions of dollars in tariffs could be triggered by a commercial during a baseball game illustrates the unpredictability and reactionary nature of President Trump’s approach. As other countries observe the Canadian-American interaction, it is possible that they take their business elsewhere, as America’s unpredictability is unreliable for a country’s economy to rely on.
The Human Cost
With the Reagan ad, Doug Ford has become an outspoken critic of Donald Trump, conveying the frustration across his province. Ford’s criticisms are understandable as Stellantis, the company that owns Dodge, Jeep, Alfa Romeo, and more, announced that it would move its plant from Ontario to Illinois, costing the province around 3,000 jobs.
As the Canadian economy begins to tank, it is clear why many Canadians have turned to sports as an outlet: to make their voices heard.
What Comes Next?
With the United States-Canada-Mexico Free Trade Agreement up for review in 2026, the deal that was created by the first Trump Administration, Canada has reason to worry that any new trade deal would weaken the cross-border commerce.
The relationship between the two North American nations has had its challenges before, but the combination of dismissive rhetoric and seemingly reactionary tariffs has created a new and unusual situation.
When Sidney Crosby lifted the trophy on American ice, when the Blue Jays forced the high-powered Los Angeles Dodgers back to Toronto for games six and seven, and when a Ronald Reagan ad triggered international repercussions, sports became larger than a game. These reactions have become a result of people unsure how to react to a change in a centuries-old status quo. Amidst the tariffs, sports is one of the few arenas where Canadians can stand up for themselves.
While the economic and diplomatic effects of this trade war have lasted longer than the outcome of a few games, many Canadians see sports settings as the place to fight back. Hockey and Baseball offer something that geopolitics can’t: clear rules, a fair fight, and most importantly, a chance to win.
Edited by Lindsay Hayes
Disclaimer: This is an article written by a Staff Writer. Catalyst is a student-led platform that fosters engagement with global issues from a learning perspective. The opinions expressed above do not necessarily reflect the views of the publication.
Judah Meltzner is in his first year at McGill University, hoping to pursue a B.A. in International Development Studies. Originally from Boston, Massachusetts, he is particularly interested in American politics in addition to the happenings of the United Nations.