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Here we go again.

While most Canadian copper concentrates are sent to China, .

Jim Keon, president of the Canadian Generic Pharmaceutical Association, isn’t so calm. While these tariffs are supposedly aimed at reducing America’s dependence on countries like China and India, Canada could be collateral damage.

The Trump tariff dramatics reminds me of being a teenager. When I acted up, my parents would issue vague threats — “you’re never going out again!” or “no TV for a month!”— but they didn’t follow through. Those big threats were loud, but the punishments? Not so much.

This performative tariff theatre is more of the same. Big threats. Minimal follow-through. And while we’re tired of the drama, we’re also better prepared for it.

In 2016, while campaigning for president the first time, Trump said the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was “the worst trade deal ever made.” Once elected, his administration slapped tariffs on Canadian steel (25 per cent) and aluminum (10 per cent) as a negotiation tactic. The U.S. justified the tariffs by accusing Canadian exports of being a national security threat.

Canada hit back with retaliatory tariffs — on everything from U.S. whiskey to lawn mowers — and the financial markets briefly panicked. The negotiation led to the 2019 CUSMA trade deal that Trump is now ignoring. Sound familiar? It’s like teenage friendship drama all over again. It starts as a tiff, and before you know it, someone’s flipping a table.

Trump’s antics were worrisome then, but this time around we know how to navigate this kind of chaos.

Yes, there have been consequences. The financial markets did panic and there have been retaliatory tariffs, like removing American liquor from the LCBO and Quebec’s SAQ, and threats to turn off the electricity, but most Canadians aren’t alarmed.

Of course, some people are rightfully losing sleep — like if you work in the auto industry (and now possibly mining or pharmaceutical) — but there has been a quiet resolve across the country. Canadians have stiffened our backs and said, “OK, you want to bully us? We’re going to close ranks.”

. Canadians have leaned into buying local — or any other country but the U.S. — because it makes sense. We’ve made more intentional decisions about where we spend our tourism dollars. .

This isn’t about nationalism, it’s about self-preservation.

Of course, there are doubters who believe the average Canadian would just fall back into our old habits. .

If we’re honest, we were too dependent on the U.S. This was the right time to stand up for ourselves.

In March, Trump wrote on his Truth Social app, “Have no fear, we will WIN everything!!!” and claimed that tariffs were already “pouring money” into the country. This language may play well to his base, but here, we’re not matching noise for noise. We need to continue the steady pace — and keep building on what we’ve already learned.

Canadians aren’t blinking. We’re protecting what matters, choosing partnerships that respect us, and standing tall under pressure.

While Trump tells Americans they won’t bear the brunt of these tariffs, it remains to be seen how they’ll react on Aug. 1 … if the tariffs are implemented.