Section 338 tariffs?

With the World Cup out of the way, Trump decided it was time to beat up on Canada again, so he announced the intention to hit us with new 50 percent tariffs, and no, not because of the wildfire smoke crossing the border (which prime minister Mark Carney said he talked to Trump about at the World Cup final). No, these are under Section 338 in their trade law, which has to do with “discrimination.” Because retaliation for their illegal and unjustified tariffs apparently counts as “discrimination” in their eyes, and no, there won’t be any NAFTA exemptions under these tariffs, apparently.

https://bsky.app/profile/emmettmacfarlane.com/post/3mr4ivv6mlk2l

But they’re also weird. Some of them are calculated for symbolic effect (like hockey sticks, or Canadian wine), but some of them make no sense (Canadian tequila?). And maybe this is more “art for the deal” nonsense,

https://bsky.app/profile/jrobson.bsky.social/post/3mr4hk7wqcs2w

https://bsky.app/profile/jrobson.bsky.social/post/3mr4hk7wz422w

https://bsky.app/profile/jrobson.bsky.social/post/3mr4hk7x23c2w

I am looking forward to the US ambassador to Canada going back on Canadian TV to say he is puzzled why Canadians dislike this administrationhttps://t.co/3szXZHjJVt

— Thomas Juneau (@thomasjuneau) July 20, 2026

Raking the Forests

Some Canadians got in on the whole “Rake the Forests!” MAGA meme, and it’s very embarrassing. Others decided that after years of insisting that these fires were set by climate arsonists, that now wildfires are natural, so there’s no climate change involved. (Erm, guys…) I can’t even.

https://twitter.com/andrew_leach/status/2078166450540519719

https://twitter.com/andrew_leach/status/2078912872625868932

https://twitter.com/andrew_leach/status/2079276027340362039

New right wing talking points dropped! The forest fires have nothing to do with climate change. Nothing to see here.

— Dale Smith (@journodale.bsky.social) 2026-07-18T19:42:56.807Z

pic.twitter.com/08HVeDW1Is

— Effin' Birds (@EffinBirds) July 20, 2026

My Latest:

My weekend column looks at how Carney capitulated to industry on the Pathways project, making it essentially costly and useless, likely in a bid to simply kill it.

Ukraine Dispatch:

Russians pounded Kyiv over the weekend with missiles and drones, as well as hit a ship carrying corn out of Odesa, killing ten people. Meanwhile, protests continue over the dismissal of the defence minister and calling for the army chief to be replaced.

Overnight, Russia carried out one of its largest ballistic missile attacks on Kyiv. The enemy launched more than 40 missiles of various types – most of them against the capital – and 120 attack drones.

As of now, one person has been reported killed in Kyiv and the region, and 16… pic.twitter.com/YMWDlB6wGA

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) July 19, 2026

⚡️ Russian attacks kill 14, injure over 160 across Ukraine over past day as guided bombs strike Zaporizhzhia.

A Russian guided aerial bomb attack on Zaporizhzhia killed three people and injured at least 78 others, local authorities reported. Six bombs struck four locations,…

— The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) July 20, 2026

Noteworthy:

Kevin Carmichael suggests that we reframe our value proposition when it comes to global trade and focus on services, where the premium markets tend to be.
Justin Ling ponders the American reaction to the so-called “middle powers alliance,” coupled with Carney’s incoherent positions as he tries to help build it.
Ling also goes through the dismantling of Trump’s “stolen election” claims.
Lindsay Tedds points to the grievance-generating form of Alberta’s bike lane reporting site, and how it deliberately obscures and ignores actual evidence.

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