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Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick Discusses U.S-Canada Trade Conflict

Here’s the fact bomb that silences Canadians almost immediately when delivered.

In December 2024 then Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, told President-elect Donald Trump that Canada could not comply with a renewed trade agreement based on reciprocity because: (1) Canada had deindustrialized; their manufacturing was now “light” manufacturing and assembling of component goods made by others. (2) Canada had legislated energy policy based on climate change, and high carbon emitting industrial production was no longer an option [coking coal burning etc.]. (3) The NATO military spending goal was too high for Canada to reach [they were 19th and it wasn’t a priority because the USA was the crutch]. (4) Internal provincial rules, restrictions and cross-border trade regulations did not align with a Canadian federal trade policy effort, and (5) the political power of the ‘dairy cartel’ inside Canada tied the hands of Canadian trade representatives.

That was the gist of it. That’s why Canada cannot now or ever find a path to a U.S. reciprocal or balanced trade agreement.  #1 and #2 is specifically why Canadian govt officials repeatedly use the word “intertwined.”  They say intertwined because they can no longer function separately. Canada is economically dependent on proximal and economic subsidies from the United States.

That outline by Trudeau led Trump to say that Canada should then become a 51st state….. And, well, you know the rest. Someone in Canada should ask Trudeau about it. The former Prime Minister has no reason to deny it, and too many people were witness. Then, perhaps, Canadians will understand.

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Mexico and U.S. Working Faster on Bilateral Trade Agreement to Conclude Before Midterm Election

The missing aspect in all USMCA/CUSMA trade discussions is the simple fact that President Trump and U.S. Trade Ambassador Jamieson Greer would prefer bilateral trade agreements.  The reason is simple and is highlighted in all the problems with the three-party USMCA.

Two countries can negotiate based on their individual interests; multiple country assemblies get complicated.  Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and his “middle power” strategy of multiple interests assembling to create larger influence simply doesn’t work in trade discussion.  That’s the bottom line.

Reuters is reporting the obvious.  Mexico and the United States are racing to reach a bilateral trade deal before the U.S. midterm elections in less than eight weeks, according to six sources in both countries familiar with the talks, an effort made more urgent by the collapse of Canadian negotiations with Washington. Both USTR Jamieson Greer and President Trump have previously said the deal with Mexico would likely come first.

Mexico has played this very well.  Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has not participated in any antagonisms toward the U.S. position; they are simply negotiating for their best outcome.  The Mexican government officials don’t try to hide their U.S. dependency under the misguided premise of patriotism.  They understand the nature of the relationship.

If President Sheinbaum wants to keep a strong economy, she needs the USA.  Both leaders want a trade agreement; it’s business beyond politics.  Canada on the other hand is playing pure politics and trying to carve out a deal for themselves the rest of the world doesn’t have.  Canada wants to be excluded from the baseline tariffs applied to everyone, that’s not going to happen.

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EU Central Bank Raises Interest Rates on EU Citizens to Avoid Settling Ukraine-Russia Conflict

The European Central Bank raised interest rates a quarter of a percent claiming the effort will reduce energy prices.  However, the primary cause of higher energy costs is energy policy not monetary policy.

As you can see, Europe is blaming the Iran conflict, and by extension blaming President Trump for inflicting higher oil and gas prices.  Yet in reality, it was the European decision to cut themselves off of Russian oil and gas that led to their massive price increases.

In essence, if you ask yourself how far the EU collective is willing to go in order to combat the fictitious threat represented by Russia’s conflict with non-EU state Ukraine, it appears there is no upper limit.  Rather than assist in a resolution of the Ukraine-Russia conflict, they are willing to keep fueling the war and diminishing their own economy in the process.

From the perspective of the welfare of the average European, none of this makes sense.  This is bureaucratic ideology running amok.

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — The European Central Bank raised interest rates Thursday to cool inflation that is being fed by high oil prices from the Iran war. The decision was supported by a stronger-than-expected economy that suggests businesses can weather the higher borrowing costs.

The central bank for the 21 EU member countries that use the euro currency raised its benchmark rate by a quarter percentage point to 2.50% at a meeting held in Berlin, away from the bank’s Frankfurt headquarters.

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Prime Minister Carney Pledges to Upend U.S. Conflict Negotiations, Announcing Intent to Advance Ukraine into NATO

Prime Minister Mark Carney really is a globalist piece of work.  As Ukraine Prime Minister Volodymr Zelenskyy arrives in Alberta, Canada, to coordinate with the latest European leader Mark Carney, the remarks said in this brief greeting and introduction video are stunning in a geopolitical context.

It is obvious that Prime Minister Carney is trying to position himself as a decisionmaker in the outcome of the Russia-Ukraine conflict by pushing Zelenskyy even deeper into intransigent positions that will only lead to greater conflict.

Carney positions Canada squarely on the side of Ukraine and in violent opposition to Russia.  Not coincidentally, this is the exact opposite ¹position of the United States, and that is a feature not a flaw.

Carney really does view himself as European first and foremost.  He even remarks that Canada in general, and he as the Prime Minister specifically, will ensure that Ukraine advances to become a European member state.  How, exactly, does he as a North American leader expect to make this happen?

Worse still, Prime Minister Carney injects himself into the Ukraine-Russia negotiations by stating his intention to ensure that Ukraine becomes a member of NATO.  Ukraine not becoming a NATO member state is a hardline for Russia, and that aspect is deeply enmeshed in the ongoing negotiations between the U.S. led discussions with Russia and Ukraine.

Carney is putting his nation and himself into direct conflict with President Trump and the goals/objectives of peace.

No one outside of Canada gives a tinkers’ damn about Canada giving more money to Ukraine; however, when Carney directly aligns his military with Ukraine and pledges to support Zelenskyy with military hardware, NORAD defense missiles, things change.  Do the Canadian people really want to get pulled into this quagmire as an outcome of Mark Carney’s grand aspirations to become a protectorate of the European Union?

Carney is playing a very dangerous game, and I hope the Canadian people can see just how far over his skis he is putting them.

Watch these remarks carefully and contemplate just how much Carney is positioning Canada to be a direct enemy of the United States. This will not end well.  SEE BELOW:

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White House and USTR Jamieson Greer Introduce Stacking Tariffs of 50 Percent and Import Bans Against Canadian Goods

President Trump and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer waited to see if Canada was going to follow through with their retaliatory tariffs against U.S. imports.

The Canadian government carried out their tariffs, so today the White House introduced 50% ‘stacking tariffs’, on top of pre-existing tariff rates, and additional import bans against several Canadian products.

It should be quickly noted that several North American corporations are already making moves to avoid the issues by shifting production lines and adding additional investment into U.S. manufacturing.  As expected, getting locked out of a 32 trillion economy is not an option for survivability.

The easiest way to review the issues is not to read media reports, but rather to read the actual outcomes as announced by the White House and USTR.  CTH has noticed several Canadian outlets are already making false claims.

A White House FACT SHEET IS HERE.  The USTR ANNOUNCEMENT IS HERE.

It is worth reviewing both sets of outlines as well as accompanying links to determine the exact types of Canadian products being targeted by stacking tariffs and import bans.

WHITE HOUSE – Today, to address Canada’s increased discrimination against U.S. commerce, President Trump signed five Proclamations pursuant to Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930 to ban certain products from Canada and modify the scope of the tariffs on certain Canadian products previously announced on July 20, 2026. President Trump is taking decisive and appropriate action to respond to Canada’s additional retaliation and continued discriminatory treatment of crucial American exports.

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Russian Federation Readout Following President Trump and President Putin Phone Call

President Donald Trump and Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin held a one-hour phone call today, discussing the latest round of negotiations between U.S. Emissaries Steve Witkoff, Jared Kusher and their Russian counterparts.

Obviously, for us at CTH it makes no sense to read manipulative U.S. media reports of the Russian perspective on the phone call, when we can just read the Russian readout for ourselves.  You deserve better.  So, here it is:

[PRESS RELEASE] – Aide to the President Yury Ushakov: President Vladimir Putin had another telephone conversation with US President Donald Trump. In their customary respectful and business-like manner, the leaders exchanged opinions on the trips made by US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Moscow and Kiev on September 5–6.

The telephone conversation lasted exactly one hour. It was constructive and quite frank. As you understand, the conversation itself is confidential, so I am not at liberty to share with you many important details and nuances.

The outcome of the visit by said US representatives was assessed as positive. The work through this channel and some others will continue.

Clearly, the conversation centered on Ukrainian settlement. Donald Trump directly communicated the desirability of bringing the conflict to an end as soon as possible, as it would immediately open up prospects – impressive and far-reaching ones at that – for the ​full restoration of relations between the U.S. and Russia. In his view, this would have a particular impact on trade and economic ties, promising huge ‌benefits for ⁠both nations. Donald Trump is keen to see a breakthrough achieved during his presidency.

President Putin supported this approach in the context of potentially building a constructive partnership between the two great powers and praised the mediation efforts by the US and Donald Trump personally with respect to finding solutions to the Ukrainian conflict. An objective and extensive analysis of the current developments in the special military operation was provided, along with our vision of the overall progress on the battlefield and achieving the goals and objectives of the special military operation. Speaking of which, actual tangible actions that the Americans could take to expedite the cessation of the hostilities were outlined.

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One Major Shift Can Solve the Iran Problem and So Much More

**BUMPED by Request** History has a tendency to rhyme.

There is one move on the geopolitical chessboard that can put all of the U.S. and President Trump’s problems into an immediate checkmate.  However, the forces against the alignment are significant. If President Trump can end the Ukraine-Russia conflict and end the sanctions regime against Russia, everything changes.

Bringing Russian oil, gas and natural resources back into the global economy not only removes all leverage held by Iran, but it also wipes out intransigent resistance against the geopolitical reset and upends over a hundred years of EU and Commonwealth financial manipulation.

Not only does the Iran problem immediately shift, but so too does any/all leverage carried by Canada on behalf of London and the broader commonwealth structure.  With a U.S-Russia strategic economic alliance, something factually stated at the end of every message from Moscow, the dynamics of global structures is entirely different.  However, all the oppositional interests are well aware of the consequence and their actions reflect it.

The United States and Russia ended World War II.  A U.S-Russia alliance would change everything.

Who would benefit from such a strategic partnership?  The USA, Russia, India, China, Saudi Arabia, the Gulf States (GCC), ASEAN countries and even Japan and the Caribbean, including Cuba.

Who would oppose such a seismic shift?  The U.K, specifically the financial constructs within the City of London, Canada, the EU-NATO states, all the Commonwealth countries and the Five-Eyes group (Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the U.K and the U.S. Intelligence Community).

Now we have appropriate context for the dynamic of the issue, along with context for exactly why all oppositional elements are conducting current activity.  A strategic partnership between the U.S. and Russia represents an existential threat to all the old systems – everything.

The first step would be solving the Ukraine-Russia conflict. So, let’s look at that problem specifically and how a transactional approach might frame the four corners of an end to it.

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Sunday Fights: Energy Secretary Chris Wright vs CBS Margaret Brennan

The Sunday pearl clutching begins with CBS’s Margaret Brennan directing her adversarial prose toward U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright.

Secretary Wright is such a pro in this interview.  “It’s the western hemisphere, Margaret” 😂🤣😂 Priceless!

[Transcript] – MARGARET BRENNAN: We begin today with the U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, who joins us from Denver. Mr. Secretary, it is Labor Day, and Secretary Bessent had predicted we’d see three-dollar gas by September 20th, depending on the Iran talks. Do you think we’re going to be back at three bucks in the next two weeks?

SECRETARY OF ENERGY CHRIS WRIGHT: Well, we’ve passed peak demand time with Labor Day tomorrow, the end of the summer driving season, and the Trump administration a couple weeks ago rolled out a change in regulations that’ll allow American refiners to produce more gasoline and diesel with their existing equipment. So, seeing demand likely go down in the next few weeks and supply going up, I think prices headed downward is- is not an unreasonable expectation.

MARGARET BRENNAN: What about the diesel fuel that trucks and trains rely so heavily on? We saw that record high price of $5.89 a gallon this week. Is for example, an export ban off the table?

SEC. WRIGHT: You want to keep as much energy flowing as possible. The diesel situation has been challenging because Russian refineries have suffered significant damage. Russia used to be a meaningful exporter of diesel. Today, today they don’t export any diesel, and in fact, they’ve become a meaningful importer of gasoline. So its global refining capacity is why gasoline and diesel prices are high, even more than oil prices. And this is- for 17 years, Democrat policies have been attack hydrocarbons, get as many refineries and coal plants closed. You could summarize their energy and climate policies in two words, expensive energy.

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Sovereignty Returning – German AfD Party Achieves Historic Victory

Before getting into the details it is worth noting, the indications of this historic victory were visible recently when the German people, not the politicians, the people, completely rejected the government claim that Russia was behind the drone issue at the Leipzig airport. The propaganda effort backfired spectacularly.  The best campaigner for the opposition was Chancellor Friedrich Merz himself.

The Alternative for Deutschland (AfD) party has won a historic election, stamping a desire for commonsense back into the German political system.  The AfD platform nationally is very simple:  Normalization of German-Russian relations, a halt to all immigration, the recommissioning of the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines and an exit from the European Union.  In short, a return to sovereignty and economic commonsense.

Germany’s Alternative for Germany scored a victory in today’s Saxony-Anhalt election, with exit polls showing the party winning 44.5 percent of the vote and finishing well ahead of its rivals. Yes, the result marks the strongest performance by a conservative nationalist party in a German state since World War II.

BERLIN, Sept 6 (Reuters) – The Alternative for Germany (AfD) surged into first place in state elections in Saxony-Anhalt on Sunday, exit ​polls showed, putting a far-right party on the cusp of power at state level for the ‌first time since World War Two.

The AfD won 44.5% of the vote, with Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s conservatives trailing well behind on 18.5%, and the centre-left Social Democrats and environmental Greens both clearing the minimum threshold to enter parliament, according to an exit poll from the ​ARD broadcaster.

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U.S. Central Command Destroys Three Iranian Tankers After IRGC Fires Upon U.S. Navy Vessels

The U.S. Central Command has released video showing their elimination of three Iranian oil tankers following an attack on two U.S. navy vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.

TAMPA, Fla. — U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces struck three Iranian crude oil carriers, Sept. 5, after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched ballistic missiles toward two U.S. Navy warships patrolling regional waters.

A U.S. aircraft carrier and guided-missile destroyer successfully evaded multiple unprovoked Iranian attacks. No American personnel were harmed.

Following Iran’s failed attacks, CENTCOM permanently disabled the IRGC crude oil carriers M/T Downy off the coast of Kharg Island and M/T Stark 1 near Jask. American forces also completely destroyed the unladen crude oil carrier M/T Kylo (also known as the “Noxen”) in the Gulf of Oman, striking the vessel in multiple critical locations to render it inoperable after the crew was directed to abandon ship.

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