A timeline of Canada/USA Tariffs

Taken from a friend off another forum:
From a Friend: please share to your American friends and family. Before it is too late. 

One thing I've learned over the past few weeks, and it's been a bit of a sobering lesson, is that a lot of Americans I know don't actually know what's going on between the US and Canada right now, and just how seriously Canadians are taking this. So, against my better judgement, here's a timeline to explain why we're here, and why we're angry.

Nov 30th, 2018 - The United States, Canada and Mexico finalize a trade agreement. Trump personally negotiates the terms and signs the document, celebrating it as 'the greatest trade agreement in history". (This is important.)

  • Nov 29th, 2024 - In a face to face meeting, Trump threatens the Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, that he will be imposing 25% tariffs and that if Canada wants to avoid that, it should join the US as a state.
  • Nov 30th, 2024 - Trump publicly calls our Prime Minister 'Governor Trudeau' and instructs his staff to only address him as Governor going forward. He again suggests Canada should join the USA.
  • Dec 3rd, 2024 - Trump remarks that he would split Canada into two states once annexed.
  • Dec 10th, 2024 - Trump posts that the majority of Canadians support annexation, despite public polling that only 13% of Canadians would consider the idea. 
  • Dec 18th, 2024 - Trump again falsely states that the majority of Canadians support annexation and that one of his lapdogs, Wayne Gretzky, should have a leadership role in that new scenario. 
  • Jan 7th, 2025 - At a press conference, Trump says that he would use economic force to destroy the Canadian economy to annex it. 
  • Jan 14, 2025 - Trump again claims that most Canadians want to be American, despite new polls showing only 10% of us are open to the idea. 
  • Jan 20th, 2025 - During his inaugural address, Trump says that the U.S. will 'expand its territory' during his second term.
  • Jan 23rd, 2025 - At the World Economic Forum, Trump says that Canada can avoid tariffs and economic collapse if it joins the US. He says this in front of representatives from most countries in the world.
  • Jan 24th, 2025 - Trump states publicly that Canada 'will' become a state
  • Jan 31st, 2025 - Trump announces a 25% tariff on all Canadian imports to begin the next day.
  • Feb 2nd, 2025 - Trump refers to Canada as its 'Cherished 51st state' and that it should join the US to avoid tariffs. 
  • Feb 3rd, 2025 - A one month delay is agreed upon. Trump, in a conversation with Trudeau states that he doesn't think existing border treaties with Canada are valid, and need to be revised. 

CORRECTION:

Feb 7th, 2025 - In a closed door meeting with his cabinet, Prime Minister Trudeau is recorded, without his knowledge, telling everyone that he believes very strongly that Trump is serious and that he stated his reason for annexation as Canadian resources. 

Feb 7th: Trudeau was NOT in a cabinet meeting. It was a meeting with business and labour leaders, an advisory group on Canada-US relations. The media had been invited for part of it and was believed to have left before his remarks. A breach of a cabinet meeting would be a much more serious incident.

  • Feb 9th, 2025 - In a Super Bowl pre-game interview, Trump says that he's serious about his threats, calling it a 'viable consideration for expanding US territory'
  • Feb 10th, 2025 - Trump announces an additional 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from Canada to come into effect March 12th.
  • Feb 24th, 2025 - Trump publicly remarks that whoever signed the USMCA agreement is an idiot. He was the one that signed it. 
  • Feb 27th, 2025 - Reports of American spy planes and reconnaissance aircraft flying over southern Alberta and Saskatchewan.
  • March 4th, 5th, and 6th 2025 - Tariffs come into effect. Canada retaliates with it's own tariffs. Tariffs are again postponed until April 1st after a huge market backlash. 
  • March 4th, 2025 - In an address to a joint session of congress, Trump states that the US will own Greenland 'one way or the other'. 
  • March 5th, 2025 - US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick told Canadian finance minister Dominic LeBlanc that Trump "had come to realize that the relationship between the United States and Canada was governed by a slew of agreements and treaties that were easy to abandon."
  • March 7th, 2025 - Unconfirmed Memorandum and maps leaked on twitter reveal Trump is allegedly planning to annex the entirety of the great lakes and Southern Ontario, home to 13,491,332 Canadians. This amounts to 35.25% of Canada's total population and includes its largest city, Toronto. This region accounts for 38% of the Canadian economy, and its loss would make Canada's independence functionally impossible. 
  • March 8th, 2025 - Canada's foreign minister warns European allies that their government considers Canada to be under existential threat. 

CORRECTION:

March 9th, 2025 - Mark Carney, the new Canadian Prime Minister, in his inaugural address states that Trump is seeking to destroy Canada, and its way of life. 

March 9th: Mark Carney’s remarks were NOT part of his “inaugural address”, there is no such thing in Canada. They were made after being declared winner of the Liberal Party leadership race. Effectively the leadership convention. Carney and his cabinet will be sworn in by the Governor General, expected to occur later this week.

  • March 10th, 2025 - Ontario's Premier 25% Surcharge for Electricity into goes into effect affecting today Monday.
  • March 11th, 2025 - Trump raises Canadian steel, aluminum tariffs to 50% in retaliation for Ontario energy duties of 25% Surcharge for Electricity
  • March 11th, 2025 - Ontario Premier suspends 25% SurchargeMarch 11th, 2025 - Trump rescinds 50% retaliation for Ontario energy duties of 25% Surcharge for Electricity

To my American friends, I know most of you are amazing and generous people. You didn't ask for this, and I understand that. I hold no ill will towards you, whatsoever. But I must stress, with as much seriousness as I can, the amount of damage this has done. 

We have viewed you as our closest friend and ally for a century. We thought of you as brothers and sisters. We answered the call, again and again, for any support you needed from us. Most of Canadians visit the USA so much that we've seen more of the US than we have the rest of Canada. 

American products have been taken off our shelves. Canadians are cancelling travel plans to the US. Photo after photo has been shared on social media of empty flights from Canada to the USA. 

This isn't a joke to us. We're not overreacting. We don't think he's just saying this shit to cause chaos or negotiate a deal. We wholeheartedly believe that our closest ally and friend is about to bring violence across our border, economically destroy us, and eliminate our way of life. 

The main driver for Canada's creation in 1867 was SPECIFICALLY to not be part of America, and to end America's very public threats and plans to annex our territory. 

We're angry. We're really, really fucking angry. Open your eyes to what's happening because we're tired of trying to make you understand why and asking you why it seems like none of you care. 

I still hope that there is time to repair this. I still believe that this is the result of one man's plan to burn it all down. But time is running out, and fast.

Elbows Up!

EDIT: Contributed corrections by u/Alarming-Building-95 - Thank you.