What鈥檚 Trump鈥檚 problem with Canada?
With tariffs on the horizon, we look at the economic data on the US trade deficit with Canada
Neighbours, everybody needs good neighbours, and since the end of the Second World War that鈥檚 exactly what the US and Canada have been. They鈥檝e enjoyed free trade agreements, close knit economic ties - and not so friendly ice hockey matches.
But recently this relationship has soured, with President Trump calling them 鈥渙ne of the nastiest countries to deal with鈥�. It looks like the era of mostly free trade is over, with a raft of tariffs set to come into force on April the 2nd, or 鈥渓iberation day鈥� a Donald Trump calls it.
But is President Trump right about the trading relationship between the two countries? What does he mean when he claims that 鈥渢he US subsidises Canada $200 billion a year鈥�?
Presenter: Tim Harford
Producer: Lizzy McNeill
Series Producer: Tom Colls
Editor: Richard Vadon
Production co-ordinator: Katie Morrison
Studio manager: Andrew Mills
Unlock the history and truth behind the data with The OU
Explore how numbers shape, and sometimes mislead us, with The Open University.
When can you trust statistics?
麻豆社 Ideas discovers three easy ways to help make sense of statistics.
Podcast
-
![]()
More or Less
Tim Harford explains the numbers and statistics used in everyday life.
