By Anthony Joseph

Donald Trump is back in the White House and within months of taking office for his second term, his administration has unleashed a barrage of aggressive policies, including sweeping tariffs aimed directly at Canadian industries.

But this isn’t just a trade dispute. According to national security expert Wesley Wark, this is nothing less than economic war and Canada must treat it as such.

Wark, a senior fellow at the Centre for International Governance Innovation, recently argued that Trump’s letter announcing tariffs, issued under dubious national security pretenses, is a red line moment. And he’s right.

This is the most dangerous escalation yet in Trump’s hostile approach to Canada, and it demands more than polite diplomacy. It demands strength.

As Caribbean Canadians, many of whom have built businesses, supported unions, and shaped Canada’s economy from the ground up, we have a stake in this. These tariffs don’t just hit steel or lumber; they threaten jobs, raise prices, and destabilize supply chains that affect everything from Caribbean-owned trucking companies to food importers and manufacturers. And if Canada fails to stand up for itself now, we all stand to lose.

Trump’s administration has once again justified its actions by invoking an old lie: that fentanyl is pouring into the United States from Canada. This baseless accusation has been repeatedly disproven by Canadian officials and experts. Yet it continues to serve as a legal pretext for enacting emergency powers and slapping tariffs on Canadian goods.

Wark doesn’t mince words; he calls it a “canard”, a necessary fiction which Trump uses to fabricate a national security threat. Why? Because under U.S. law, declaring such a threat gives him the authority to bypass Congress and impose tariffs unilaterally. The fact that this narrative is a lie doesn’t matter. In Trump’s America, perception trumps truth.

And let’s be clear: this is not about drugs. It’s about power. It’s about economic coercion. And it’s about testing just how far Trump can push his northern neighbour before we push back.

Wark offers a provocative, but essential, response: Canada must hit back where it matters most – on national security. His proposals are not rash or reactionary; they are strategic and grounded in the understanding that Canada is not just a trading partner, but a security ally. And if the U.S. no longer treats us like one, we must reconsider the foundations of that alliance.

First, Wark proposes that Canada review the NORAD treaty, the long-standing bilateral agreement that governs North American airspace defense.

For 70 years, Canada has played a key role in securing the continent. But if the U.S. treats Canada like a satellite state, then we must remind them that this is a mutual partnership, not a one-way relationship.

Critics may argue that the U.S. doesn’t “need” Canada, but Wark refutes this. NORAD, signals intelligence, and border cooperation all rely on Canadian infrastructure, data, and trust. Without us, the U.S. is not as secure.

Trump’s rhetoric, that Canada is freeloading on American defense, is both false and insulting.

By threatening to review NORAD and other treaties, Canada wouldn’t be declaring war. It would be declaring independence. We are not a vassal state. We are a sovereign nation with the right to determine how we engage with a partner that no longer behaves like one.

Wark also suggests limiting intelligence sharing with the U.S. This might sound extreme, but it’s both measured and realistic. Canada is a valued member of the “Five Eyes” intelligence alliance. We may not have the vast resources of the CIA or NSA but our signals intelligence, particularly through the Communications Security Establishment (CSE), is highly regarded.

Restricting access to sensitive Canadian intelligence or slowing down the pipeline of cooperation would be a message Washington couldn’t ignore. Wark recommends this be done quietly, behind closed doors. It wouldn’t be about fanfare. It would be about leverage.

And if Trump is going to impose more tariffs and spread misinformation, then Canada has every right to reconsider how it supports American national security interests, especially when those interests now come at the direct expense of our own.

This is not just a debate between Ottawa and Washington. It’s a fight that will affect everyday people, especially in the our community. Many of us operate small businesses that depend on cross-border commerce, affordable imports, and stable trade relationships. Whether it’s a Black-owned logistics company in Brampton or a Caribbean food wholesaler in Scarborough, tariffs mean higher costs, less predictability and economic pain.

Our community has always been entrepreneurial. We’ve created jobs, built trade networks, and filled in the gaps left by large institutions. But we’ve also learned that when global powers clash, it’s our communities that get squeezed first and hardest.

We must demand that our elected officials, especially those who represent Caribbean and immigrant-rich ridings, treat this moment with the seriousness it deserves. That includes supporting tougher stances on trade, diplomacy, and yes, even defense.

We must also recognize what this says about Trump’s worldview. He sees countries like Canada as dispensable. He sees allies as competitors. And by extension, he sees immigrants, minorities, and racialized communities as politically expendable.

If he can bully a nation like Canada, what message does that send to the rest of the world?

The Caribbean has its own history with empires that claimed friendship while extracting resources, silencing dissent, and punishing independence. From sugar tariffs to military interventions, we’ve seen this story before.

It’s one of the reasons Caribbean immigrants in Canada bring a special clarity to moments like this.

We know what it means to survive under unjust systems. We know what it means to be told to wait, to comply, to avoid “rocking the boat.” But we also know that dignity must be defended.

Canada must now decide: Will it tolerate economic blackmail and reputational smears from its closest ally? Or will it respond, firmly and strategically, to protect its sovereignty and the people who helped build this nation?

Wesley Wark isn’t sounding an alarm purely for drama’s sake. He’s offering a roadmap for Canada to prepare for a reality that is already unfolding. Trump’s second term is here and with it comes a storm of economic, diplomatic, and ideological challenges.

Canada must explore every available option, from treaty reviews to intelligence limits, from trade diversification to new global partnerships. This is not just about surviving Trump. It’s about shaping a post-Trump world where Canada stands firm, proud, and independent.

And Caribbean Canadians must be part of that stand. Our voices, our businesses, and our history all matter. We have seen what silence costs. Now it’s time to fight back, together.

Anthony Joseph is the publisher of The Caribbean Camera, a weekly publication highlighting the voices, achievements, and issues of Black, Caribbean, and BIPOC communities in Canada.

#TrumpTariffs #CanadaUSRelations #EconomicSovereignty #CaribbeanCanadians #SupportBlackBusiness #CanadianPolitics #NORAD #WesleyWark #TradeWar #CaribbeanCamera