Bloomberg reported earlier today that President Trump was likely to pull the trigger on round #2 of tariffs against $200 billion in Chinese imported goods. Duh. Surprise fail. President Trump has not bluffed on a single tariff initiative since he started executing new U.S. trade policies to reset all trade relationships.
According to Jennifer Jacobs reporting (one of the few reliable) Secretary Ross, Secretary Mnuchin and Ambassador Lighthizer met Thursday to review the current status of ongoing trade deals. This is a good nugget, because it’s likely that same meeting contained the forward instructions toward Lighthizer for the Canada discussions.
According to the report, President Trump, Ross and Lighthizer are adjusting the specifics of the $200 billion Chinese products targeted based on the two-weeks of domestic feedback they received. I would actually anticipate a combination of increased tariffs on the Round #1 sector (25% on $50 billion), and the application of new sectors within the $200 billion Round #2 target.

• Reuters Article Here
• Bloomberg Article Here
• USTR Prior Notification Here

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A column written by journalist John Ivison yesterday reflected how Justin and Chrystia from Canada appeared to be intentionally politicizing their trade negotiations in an effort to gain favor from domestic left-wing supporters.  In essence, Justin made a decision to advance his political interests even if it means destroying the Canadian economy.
Providing a stark example as evidence toward that motive Ivison wrote: “How else to explain [Freeland’s] appearance at Monday’s Women in the World summit in Toronto, on a panel entitled Taking on the Tyrant?”  Today Ezra Levant and Manny Montenegrino discuss the exact same example:

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After participating in a “Trump The Tyrant” left-wing symposium on September 10th, the primary Canadian trade negotiator appears in Washington DC on September 11th to demand preferential treatment based on friendship, virtue and neighborliness.
The combined audacity and virtue-smugness is off-the-charts with this one.

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Jumpin’ ju-ju bones.  Hat Tip to Ezra Levant on Twitter – This is going to go down in the history books of bad diplomacy.  You have to watch the first 2 minutes of this video.  Canadian Foreign Minister took leave during the middle of critically important trade negotiations with U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer to attend a Women in the World conference in Toronto.
Check out the conference introduction video (first 01:30) “Taking on the Tyrant”, and the visual of Canadian trade negotiator on stage to deliver her remarks (next 30 seconds).  Consider that Ms. Freeland made this decision during the most critical trade negotiations in her country’s modern history.  The outcome of the U.S-Canada trade negotiation will determine the next several decades within the Canadian economy.  Now Watch:

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Think about the level of ideological tone-deafness here. This is simply off-the-charts echo-chamber crazy. Canada needs a positive trade outcome; their economy is already on the ropes; and Freeland considers this a good idea?  Unreal.
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Justin from Canada has drawn a line-in-the-sand during negotiations toward a U.S-Canada trade agreement. Justin has stated that any market negotiations must necessarily exclude the “Candian Cultural Industries”; those industries cover telecommunications and media. Justin will not allow any media competition within Canada.
On the Ezra Levant Show he is joined in a pragmatic discussion with Frank H. Buckley, Foundation Professor at the Antonin Scalia Law School, George Mason University, to discuss a recent appearance on the Canadian Broadcast Channel where he criticized the Liberals’ incompetence during the NAFTA negotiations.

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Ezra Levant from Rebel Media outlines even more evidence of Justin from Canada taking specific steps to intentionally sabotage the Canadian economy.  A few days ago Mr. Levant posited some interesting considerations:  If Justin were NOT intentionally trying to bring hardship to Canadians, what would he be doing differently?

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After this broadcast the employment report from the Canadian government was published.  The economy lost 52,000 jobs in August alone.  Read THIS to see just one example of Justin destroying 8,000 Canadian jobs in a 24 hour period:  “Eight thousand jobs disappeared this morning, and one of them was mine.” MORE
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In case anyone was wondering, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross is in Europe talking trade with the European Union.  Within the delegation of trade negotiation, the EU trade agreement is designated to Ross, while USTR Lighthizer covers Canada and Mexico and Treasury Secretary Mnuchin is holding point on China.  Secretary Ross is getting the royalty treatment in Greece today.

Meanwhile, Ambassador Robert Lighthizer is still engaged with Chrystia from Canada as negotiations continue to see if a U.S-Canada trade deal is possible.  He must have the patience of Job. The 52,000 lost Canadian jobs announced today has shifted the landscape a little.  Canada appears slightly more likely to back-away from prior demands to carve out the Canadian Dairy industry and continue the process of protectionist tariffs.
Ms. Freeland is heading back to Canada tonight, leaving her negotiation team in DC to continue working.  However, Canada still demands to exempt their “cultural industries”, telecommunications and media sectors, from any trade agreement. The issues for Canada to join the U.S-Mexico agreement are/were:

• open their telecommunications and banking sector (eliminate non tariff barriers).
• eliminate soft-wood (lumber) and aeronautics federal subsidies.
• begin a process of lowering their assembly use of Chinese/Asian goods.
• accept the rules of origin for North American manufacturing.
• eliminate protectionist tariffs on dairy and farm products.
• accept the U.S-Mexico terms for arbitration and dispute resolution.

The Telecommunications/media sector is non-negotiable according to Justin from Canada. There may be flexibility within banking (not much information).  The lumber and aeronautics subsidies could be dropped.  Rules of origin are non-negotiable for President Trump.  Protectionist tariffs on dairy and farm products are the current issue being discussed.  Dispute resolution is an outstanding issue.
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The U.S. economy added 201,000 jobs in August. The U.S. unemployment rate is 3.9%.  And year-over-year U.S. wage growth jumped to 2.9%. [Bureau of Labor and Statistics Link]

Meanwhile, the Canadian economy dropped 51,600 jobs in August.  The unemployment rate increased to 6%. And year-over-year wage growth dropped to 2.6%.

CANADA – The net loss in August — which was the second largest monthly decline since the last recession — drove the unemployment rate to 6 per cent, from 5.8 per cent a month earlier, while wage gains decelerated to their slowest this year.
Economists had expected a gain of 5,000 jobs and an unemployment rate of 5.9 per cent, according to the median estimate in a Bloomberg survey.  So far in 2018, the Canadian economy has shed 14,600 jobs. (read more)

In the media analysis Bloomberg talks down the strength of the U.S. economy, and tries to dismiss the scale of the economic growth in America.  Simultaneously, the same Bloomberg media outlet calls the Canadian results “whacky” and “unexpected” and makes excuses for the miserable economic results.  Huh, imagine that.
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All our propaganda are belong to us…

In comments yesterday about the likelihood of Canada joining the U.S-Mexico trade agreement, Justin from Canada stated emphatically that his country would not join any trade agreement that removes Canadian protectionist policy on “cultural industries”.

What are Justin’s “cultural industries“? Well, that would be control over media and telecommunications. In essence, Canada wouldn’t want any of that pesky free-market media stuff interfering with the state-run propaganda broadcasts.  Yup, you can’t make this stuff up folks…

CANADA – […] The prime minister also said his government won’t sign an updated free trade accord with the U.S. and Mexico if the deal doesn’t continue exemptions for Canada’s cultural industries, which aims to protect Canada’s publishing and broadcast industries.

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On Friday we shared the press release from U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lightizer about his trade notification to congress. [HERE]  Here is the text of the letter from President Trump via The White House:

Dear Mr. Speaker:   (Dear Mr. President:)
On May 18, 2017, my Administration notified the Congress that I intended to initiate trade negotiations with Canada and Mexico.  Negotiations began on August 16, 2017.  Since that time, my Administration has worked hard with Mexico and Canada to reach a modern trade agreement that sets high standards for free, fair, and reciprocal trade.
I am pleased to report that in only 1 year, we have made dramatic progress toward such an agreement:
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