Trade‑policy uncertainty is shown to suppress business investment, with Canada alone estimated to have lost roughly $108 billion since the onset of heightened tariff disputes. When firms face unclear trade rules, irreversible projects are postponed, slowing GDP growth and job creation. A stable, low‑tariff environment is therefore essential for revitalizing investment flows.
A shifting global landscape is being reshaped by rising great‑power competition, economic weaponisation, and waning faith in traditional multilateral institutions. Middle‑power nations are urged to form flexible coalitions and pursue pragmatic, value‑based realism to safeguard stability, trade, and security amid an emerging “world of fortresses.”
Just as Canute’s legendary humility taught a kingdom that power must be tempered by pragmatism, Canada’s trade strategy under Stephen Carney needs a similar balance – leveraging global markets while safeguarding domestic resilience.
