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Geoff Russ: Praying for a friendly U.S. president is a terrible strategy for Canada

American interest in free trade is cyclical and never guaranteed

Following the collapse of trade talks between Canada and the United States continentalism is apparently dead in Canada, again. It would not be the first time that the demise of North American integration has been celebrated prematurely.

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In the 1911 federal election, the then-protectionist Conservatives triumphed over the Liberals and their program of conditional commercial reciprocity, which meant equal tariffs on identical goods traded with the U.S., rather than free trade.

Geoff Russ: Praying for a friendly U.S. president is a terrible strategy for Canada Back to video

At the time, the Toronto World proclaimed, “CONTINENTALISM IS DEAD. ELECTORS DUG ITS GRAVE,” while the Montreal Daily Star matched it with “RECIPROCITY IS REPUDIATED!” The graves of continentalism and closer relations with the U.S. were dug to great fanfare. However, like a zombie rising from the dirt, neither continentalism nor the pursuit of closer relations was really dead.

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The temptation in Canada to deepen ties with the U.S. has been cyclical. Whenever the White House appears benevolent and Canadians are not thinking twice about vacationing in Florida, such a........

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