- MEGAN GILES COONEY CNHI Columnist
- Sep 8, 2026
The collapse of trade talks between North American cousins Canada and the United States appears headed for an all-out battle over national pride. Both countries stand to suffer the consequences.
The rising riff calls for a mediator’s problem-solving skills before the slings and arrows get completely out of control, destroying long-time neighborly fondness and benefits.
Canadians point to violations of their sovereignty by President Trump, who jokes about annexing Canada as America’s 51st state. Trump counters by signing an executive order renaming Lake Ontario to Lake America.
To prove how messy this has gotten, technology companies jumped into the middle of the fray. Google Maps renamed Lake Ontario while MapQuest and Apple Maps kept the 400-year-old name of the expansive waterway separating Ontario Province from New York State.
Petty demeanor. Enormous stakes.
The noise is a distraction and masks reality that consumers, businesses and workers on both sides of the border face far more to lose than politicians do. A prolonged trade fight will continue to drive up costs, disrupt supply chains and create even more uncertainty for industries that depend on the world’s longest peaceful border.
One of the major sticking points appears to have been a late-stage U.S. demand that Canada weaken protections for French-language content on streaming platforms. Canada also objected to proposals that would give the United States a voice in Canadian trade agreements with other countries, especially China.
Neither issue came out of nowhere. The Trump administration has raised concerns about French-language requirements and Canada’s desire to broaden its foreign trading with China to offset U.S. tariffs. Canadians don’t see bilingualism as a trade issue, but rather an element of national identity protected by their Constitution since the birth of the country in 1867.
These differences make compromise difficult.
So what happens next?
Kenneth Feinberg, a lawyer and respected mediator, says go back to the table. Feinberg has spent decades helping resolve seemingly impossible disputes. He was the Special Master of the Victim Compensation Fund for the victims and families of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. He saved the process from splintering into thousands of individual lawsuits.
Feinberg says a negotiating strategy of delay can create a roadblock to agreement at the end of talks. “Sometimes it’s effective, especially if both sides anticipate a tough issue will be remaining at the end.”
But he also says that stalling in the U.S.-Canada trade talks is not helpful, noting that the “issue raised at the 11th hour is not lumber or automobiles.” In other words, the discussion has drifted away from the practical economic issues most people assumed were being negotiated.
Feinberg says the Lake Ontario/Lake America side show is a punitive reaction by Trump to failed negotiations. But he expects tariff negotiations to resume now that 50% tariffs are the issue.
Let’s hope his advice is followed.
Canadians and Americans have too much history, too much trade, and too many shared interests to let political theatrics define the relationship. The focus should return to what matters: creating a fair agreement that supports economic growth, protects national interests and provides stability for businesses and families.
While politicians can score points with tough talk, it is ordinary people who pay the price when trade relationships break down over mistrust, ruined relations and messed up maps.
Megan Giles Cooney is a columnist for the Traverse City (Mich.) Record-Eagle. Reach her at megan.cooney1@gmail.com.
