Mark Carney said enough.
In a stunning decision, the Canadian prime minister has walked away from trade negotiations with the United States, his country's one-time closest ally. While the economic ramifications remain uncertain and could be severe, the former central banker has made clear that sovereignty is not a price Canada is willing to pay.
Carney denounced Washington's proposed terms as a "bad deal" that would have infringed on Canada's use of the French language, which is constitutionally protected, and its ability to sign trade deals with other nations.
"You're at war when you're attacked, and we got attacked," Carney said, promising to retaliate "dollar for dollar" against his neighbour.
The fallout is set to be painful: steep tariffs on $20 billion in Canadian goods and roughly 87,000 direct and indirect jobs put at risk, according to initial estimates.
