Is Canada Done Being America's Nice Neighbor?

The United States and Canada share the longest undefended border in the world, deeply integrated supply chains — and a free-trade agreement that President Donald Trump negotiated himself during his first term and called a great deal. Now, these longtime allies are locked in an escalating trade war, with 50% tariffs on $20 billion in Canadian goods and Canada retaliating dollar for dollar.

Mary Ng served as Canada's minister of international trade from 2018 to 2025. She spent years in the room where U.S.-Canada trade deals were made. In this episode of "Deseret Voices," she sits down with Jane Clayson Johnson to answer the questions Americans and Canadians are asking right now.

In this conversation:

• Why Canada says these tariffs violate the USMCA — the very agreement Trump signed

• Who really pays when a 50% tariff is imposed on a Canadian product (hint: it's not Canada)

• How U.S.-Canada supply chains are so integrated that punishing one side hurts the other

• The energy leverage most Americans don't know about — Canada supplies up to 90% of US natural gas, up to 70% of American oil, and up to 80% of US electricity

• What the "elbows up" buy-Canadian movement tells us about where Canadian public sentiment is heading

• The dairy trade dispute — and the fact that the U.S. has never used its full market allocation

• Whether this trade war could last months or even years, and who blinks first

• A Depression-era law, Section 338, being invoked for the first time in nearly 100 years

• The story of Gander, Newfoundland — the tiny Canadian town that welcomed thousands of stranded Americans on Sept. 11, 2001 — and what it says about the relationship these two countries are putting at risk

This is not a conversation about winners and losers. It is a conversation about what happens when neighbors stop trusting each other — and what it will take to find a path forward.

“Deseret Voices” is hosted by award-winning journalists McKay Coppins and Jane Clayson Johnson, who go beyond the headlines to explore the stories, people, and ideas shaping our world today. Through thoughtful, in-depth conversations, the “Deseret Voices” podcast brings clarity and common ground to the complex issues defining our time. 

“Deseret Voices” is a Deseret News podcast, produced by Keira Farrimond, Creative Director - Video & Podcasts. 

Episodes of “Deseret Voices” drop every Thursday wherever you get your podcasts. Follow along and join the conversation on YouTube (@deseretnews), Instagram (@deseretnews), Facebook (@deseretnews) and X (@deseret).