President Trump's historic summit with Kim Jong-un in Singapore was overshadowed by the turbulent aftermath of the G7 summit in Quebec. America's closest allies are still reeling from the divisive summit. Shortly after its conclusion, Trump lambasted Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in a series of tweets. This was in response to a press conference held by Trudeau, where he announced retaliatory measures against US tariffs on steel and aluminium.

Trump called Trudeau „very dishonest and weak“ and claimed he „acts hurt when he's challenged“, comments that have angered Canadians. The Globe and Mail newspaper called Trump's outburst „one of the most shameful staged crises ever perpetrated by an American administration against an ally“. With tensions unlikely to cool anytime soon, it makes sense to take a brief look at whether Canada in a potential trade war, a tool of pressure.

The Canadian government has often highlighted the fact that Canada is the most important trading partner for 35 US states. Nevertheless, only two states have trade that accounts for more than 10 percent of their economic output. On the other hand, Canadian provinces have always relied on US trade – 49 per cent of GDP of Ontario depend on it. In Alberta, it's 31 percent, and in Quebec, 23 percent. Nevertheless, the US could suffer economically in a trade war, and it's not inconceivable that some states could feel the initial impact on their employment figures.

Last year, the website canadianbusiness.com The government figures of both countries were analysed to determine how many jobs in the USA depend on trade with Canada. The analysis revealed that a total of approximately 9 million jobs depend on cross-border trade, with California (1.66 million), New York (680,900) and Florida (620,000) having the most at stake. Even if President Trump maintains his protectionist stance on trade with his key allies, the USA will certainly not be immune to retaliatory measures.