Ever since the latest round of steel and aluminium tariffs went into place, there have been questions as to when and how Canada will respond, and earlier in the week, prime minister Mark Carney counselled patience and that there were “intensive negotiations” happening, but retaliatory measures were also being prepared. We found out yesterday that Carney and Trump have been having back-channel conversations on the subject, so retaliation while this is happening may be counter-productive. But you also have industry worrying that the longer this goes without retaliation, the more they become vulnerable to other things like steel imports from other countries being diverted to Canada, which could make their situation even worse.

That being said, we may not be able to eliminate all tariffs, and some level could remain because Trump does love tariffs, and has a completely wrong-headed notion about them because of the people he has been surrounding himself with. Never mind that our auto sector can’t survive with tariffs, or that the Americans will simply pay through the nose for aluminium that they can’t smelt themselves.

Meanwhile, the Star has a really good five-point explainer about the counter-tariffs, and why the Conservatives’ claims that they were “secretly removed” is false, but rather a certain number of counter-tariffs were suspended for six months to give Canadian companies time to adjust supply chains, but there are still plenty of counter-tariffs in place.

Ukraine Dispatch

There was another missile and drone attack overnight which hit Kyiv, has killed at least four people.

Good reads:

• Mark Carney announced the list of parliamentary secretaries yesterday.
• The Commons unanimously voted to support the Ways and Means motion for the planned tax cut. Legislation now follows.
• David McGuinty says that he is reviewing defence spending from “top to bottom” from the NATO defence ministers’ meeting in Brussels.
• Lina Diab tabled the “lost Canadians” bill that the courts have ordered the government to pass in order to comply with the law.
• Here is a look at the choices Canada has on offer for new submarines, and Europe or Asia seems to be one of the biggest considerations.
• Civil liberties groups are warning that the border bill contains powers that would likely lead to government overreach. Opposition parties aren’t keen either.
• It seems that minister Rebecca Chartrand was found to have harassed an employee at her former job at Red River College, per a workplace investigation.
• Dermo disease has been confirmed in oysters from Newfoundland and Labrador.
• The Ford Government passed their “special economic zone” legislation to let them ignore environmental rules or First Nations concerns over zones they designate.
• The BC government let an LNG pipeline go ahead without a fresh environmental assessment, never mind that the project has had several changes since.
• We learned that Marc Garneau died from two rare types of cancer that moved swiftly, and was only diagnosed a couple of months ago.
• Tom Spears gives a recounting of Garneau’s life, and his reputation of quiet competence that got him far.

Odds and ends:

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