News

Punitive tariffs more about political leverage than trade

Published: 15 August 2025

On August 1, a 35 per cent US tariff on Canadian goods came into effect. But these tariffs are less about trade and more about political leverage, says Vivek Astvansh, associate professor of quantitative marketing and analytics at 91ºÚÁÏÍø Desautels. "The US administration wants Canada to cede to its demands and preferences on fentanyl entry, illegal immigration, or the tariffs Canada imposes on goods and services imported from the United States." The high rate of tariffs suggests a punitive response," Astvansh told China Daily, noting that even signed deals may not hold in today's political climate.

Feedback

For more information or if you would like to report an error, please web.desautels [at] mcgill.ca (subject: Website%20News%20Comments) (contact us).

Back to top