OTTAWA—U.S. tariffs and other economic attacks on Canada require a comprehensive strategy for economic self-sufficiency, not a narrow focus on building petroleum pipelines, cutting regulations, and cutting taxes, concludes a new report from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA).

Building a sovereign, value-added, and sustainable economy, a factbook by Jim Stanford, economist and director of the Centre for Future Work and research associate with the CCPA, reviews 15 challenges that trade negotiators and policy-makers need to watch out for, and act on, to build a truly sovereign and sustainable post-Trump economy.

It’s a prelude to a fall ‘Elbows Up Economic Summit’ featuring key economists and policy analysts.

“Canada’s economy is facing multiple structural challenges at this historic moment, and it is critical for our federal and provincial governments to develop a holistic response to Trump’s attacks,” said Stanford. “Our leaders need to take on the overarching challenge of building an economy that is truly sovereign and self-reliant, not get sidetracked by longstanding corporate ultimatums for tax cuts, deregulation, and pipelines.”

Key priorities identified in this report include:

  • Diversifying Canada’s export industries by
    • Finding new markets for Canadian-made products beyond the U.S.—both here and abroad.
    • Supporting value-added and technology-intensive exports, to reduce Canada’s growing dependence on unprocessed resource products—which now make up half of all merchandise exports.
  • Growing domestic employment and spending power within Canada by
    • Emphasizing job creation as the top priority in post-Trump macroeconomic strategy.
    • Supporting non-trade-dependent industries, including public services like health care, which are relatively insulated from Trump’s attacks.
  • Stronger investment in private and public capital, technology, and innovation
    • To enable Canada to expand domestic high-value technology-intensive industries.
    • To improve economic, technological and social infrastructure to serve all Canadians.
  • Recommitting to sustainability
    • To fulfil Canada’s international climate commitments despite Trump’s actions.
    • To accelerate investment in renewable electricity generation and transmission.

“The risks posed by Trump’s tariffs and other economic and political actions are existential: our sovereignty and economic viability are threatened,” said Stanford. “But public discourse over how to respond to Trump is being drowned out by longstanding business demands for deregulation, tax cuts, and fossil fuel pipelines. We need a much broader strategy if we are to build a truly independent, prosperous, and sustainable economy.”

The invitational Elbows Up Economic Summit will take place in Ottawa on Monday, September 15, co-sponsored by seven national organizations, including the CCPA and Centre for Future Work. Further details will be forthcoming.

For more information and interviews please contact Amanda Klang, CCPA Senior Communications Specialist (Media & PR) at [email protected]