THE polite shrugs are gone. So are the diplomatic nods and the hopeful optimism that a little patience might set things right.

Across Canada, the mood has shifted from mild frustration to something more visceral: exhaustion, resolve, and a begrudging acknowledgment that under Donald Trump, the neighbour to the south is no longer a reliable trade partner, and may not be dependable in much else.

Trump`s trade war has hit Canada hard. Once a trusted ally, it now finds itself viewed as an economic adversary.

In a fast pivot run, Washington imposed 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian goods under the dubious pretext of `national security`. The decision, later partially walked back, has left Ottawa scrambling to decipher shifting exemptions, snapback deadlines, and looming levies that threaten to disrupt supply chains. For a moment, a temporary carve-out under the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement offered some relief to potash where tariffs were lowered from 25pc to 10pc benefiting both nations, especially the US farm sector. Yet steel and aluminum tariffs will return on March 12, and an April 2 deadline for broader measures hangs overhead. As manufacturers and exporters brace for impact, the reprieve is fragile at best, and unpredictability has become the new normal in an already turbulent global trade environment.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau dismissed Trump`s tariffs as `a very dumb thing to do,` but the sentiment across Canada runs deeper. What began as scepticism about America`s reliability as a trading partner has hardened into firm resolve, reshaping public and political attitudes in ways that could permanently alter bilateral ties. Ottawa quickly retaliated, imposing its own tariffs on US goods to stake its claim in a dispute it neither launched nor sought.

Meanwhile, consumers scrutinise barcodes at the grocery store, avoiding American products in favour of `Buy Canadian` campaigns. Yet the consequences are real and immediate. Canada`s economy is tightly intertwined with America`s, and for many manufacturers and small businesses, the fallout is already unfolding, with damage that may take years to mend. Steel and aluminum exports 90pc of which head south are especially vulnerable, forcing companies to re-evaluate supply chains, renegotiate contracts, and, in some cases, consider scaling back production and staff cuts.

Factories are reorganising and workers bracing for turmoil. Increasingly, it seems that Canada will have to rely less on its closest neighbour and more on diverseglobal partnerships.

The most significant shift isn`t just about economic policy or logistics; it`s about a change in attitude. For decades, Canada and America could disagree, even slap tariffs on each other now and then, while a bedrock of trust remained. That may not be the case anymore and gone is the assumption that the US will always act in good faith. This new rift reveals deeper fractures that perhaps cannotbe papered over with a handshake agreement down the road. Canada now questions not only the health of its economic ties with the US but the very nature of their relationship.

Where Canadians once believed it was always beneficial to be so deeply linked with America, many now wonder if that dependency has become a liability. The `51st state` rhetoric, floated by Trump and some advisers, landed like a slap in the face. To a country fiercely proud of its sovereignty, the suggestion isn`t just ludicrous; it`s insulting.

This isn`t to say Canada is throwing inthe towel on trade with the US. But with the era of unblinking reliance over, it has started to look elsewhere.

Ottawa is doubling down on deals with Europe and the Pacific. Businesses are diversifyingsupply chains. The sense of complacency that Canada could always count on a fair deal from the US is gone. The country isn`t just reacting to a trade war; it`s recalibrating its entire economic strategy.

And yet, despite the frustration, despite the uncertainty, Canada remains Canada.

There are no fiery nationalist rallies, no chest-thumping declarations of severed ties. Instead, there`s a quiet but unmistakable shift a move towards economic selfpreservation rooted in pragmatism rather than anger. The realisation is sinking in: the US isn`t the partner it once was, and that means Canada can`t be the neighbour it once was.

The country is adjusting, not retreating.

Businesses are working towards futureproofing their supply chains, exploring new markets, and investing in trade relationships that don`t hinge on the whims of Washington. And while spurred on by circumstances, the current shift in Ottawa`s trade strategy is an intentional, deliberate recalibration that`ll also help ensure it won`t be caught off-guard again. • The wnter is a joumalist based in Canada.

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