Geopolitical analyst Jacob Shapiro is questioning the Trump administration’s strategy in its escalating trade dispute with Canada. While Shapiro said tariffs can make sense in some circumstances, he does not believe the current approach will produce the desired result. “I think the Trump administration is making both a tactical mistake in the way that it’s approaching these negotiations and a fundamental strategic error in thinking that it doesn’t need Canada and that Canada is expendable,” Shapiro said. “I just don’t think that’s going to work.” Shapiro expects the two countries will eventually reach an accommodation because the alternative would be damaging to the U.S. economy. The longer-term concern for agriculture is whether the dispute encourages Canada to strengthen trade relationships with China, Europe and other markets. That could reshape agricultural supply chains even after tariffs are removed. Shapiro will speak at the Next Five Years Executive Conference on September 10 in Fargo, discussing global politics and artificial intelligence and their implications for agriculture. Listen to the full interview.
