Trump's tariffs on Canadian goods severely impacted the cross-border trade between Windsor, Ontario, and Detroit, Michigan. The Ambassador Bridge, the busiest border crossing in North America, experienced a decline in goods transportation. Businesses reported decreased weekend traffic and a drop in sales of US-related items.
Trump's actions galvanized Canadian public opinion, unifying Canadians against his policies. This boosted the Liberal Party's popularity in the federal elections and overshadowed other political issues. The Conservative party, while also criticizing Trump's tariffs, struggled to gain traction due to the prevailing anti-Trump sentiment.
Canadians responded to Trump's actions in several ways:
The article highlights several personal accounts illustrating the impact of Trump's policies, including the decreased bidding on US-related items at a charity auction, the halting of a $30 million factory project, and the mayor of Windsor ending city funding for Detroit-related initiatives.
The article emphasizes the long-standing symbiotic relationship between Windsor and Detroit, which was disrupted by Trump's policies. The deep economic and cultural ties, nurtured over decades through the auto industry and free trade agreements, were severely tested by this unprecedented strain.