On February 3, 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump's across-the-board tariffs of 25 per cent on Canadian goods, announced two days earlier, were postponed for 30 days after Washington and Ottawa came to a deal that will see Canada bolster surveillance at the border against organized crime, fentanyl, and money laundering.

Trump appears prepared to penalize Canada over charges of lax drug control and illegal migration, a move that would violate the continental trade agreement — the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement, or CUSMA — that Trump himself negotiated in 2020.

Although the tariffs have been shelved, as have those on Mexico (25%) but not China (10%), significant damage has been done, and consumers and businesses across Canada are now alive to the reality of a looming trade war and the perils of over-reliance on a single — and occasionally uncompromising — trading partner.

In this special spotlight on Trump's trade war and implications for Canada — and Asia, and U.S.-Asia and Canada-Asia relations — the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada presents analysis and commentary on this existential uncertainty through the publications, podcasts, video presentations, and guest contributions you will find collected below. 

Main photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images