This is the sort of idiotic narrative we need to lose:

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2gjdx241wo

"Think of Canada. It has seen its trade with the US slump. But its prime minister Mark Carney's strategy has seen Canada's trade surge with the rest of the world by 14% - which amazingly is worth more than was needed to cover its trade lost with the US."

Amazingly? What sort of a cackling imbecile would still be "amazed" by that? Yes it has always been easier in the past to take the path of least resistance. One extremely wealthy country that was open to trade with western trading partners like the EU. Why look any further, seems to have been the attitude. To be sure, it's hard work making agreements with several other trading blocs and 100 or so individual countries. But with the going insane under its school yard bully Donald we're learning the hard way that resting on our laurels is a very foolish way to keep doing business. As our (the EU's) deal with Mercosur has now proven, there are other trading opportunities out there. Many of them. Opportunities that, as has shown, can benefit us much more than kotowing to that orange fascist clown ever could.

And maybe leaving that bull to his own devices in his own china shop for a while, slapping more and more import taxes ("tariffs") on his own consumers (LOL) will finally be enough to make Americans wake up and smell the covfefe.

But we'd be remiss if we didn't assume that the USA might stay this self destructive course for an extended period and if we didn't look further afield for trading opportunities with partners who are able to behave rationally, and anyone who is still "amazed" by the benefit that could be gained from grabbing such opportunities must be blind, no, worse, wilfully closing their eyes to the state of the world in 2026.

"Amazingly". In 2026 I'm shocked to still see that word used by a reporter on economic affairs when seeing benefits to doing trade with anyone other than the USA.