Tariff, Tribute, Covet – Part 1

Good day to each of you reading this column on the above subjects and their effect on our Canadien brethren.

Fellow Christian, I wish to examine this timely subject and its effects on both the USA and Canadien people.

Before I begin, it’s time for some children’s Bible jokes from https://www.womansday.com/life/a39472639/funny-clean-christian-jokes/

What did God do to cure Moses’ headache?

He gave him two tablets.

How does Moses make his coffee?

Hebrews it.

How long did Cain dislike his brother?

As long as he was Abel.

What time of day was Adam created?

A little before Eve

What type of lights did Noah have on the Ark?

Floodlights.

What kind of man was Boaz before he married Ruth?

Ruthless.

Why is Adam considered the fastest person in the Bible?

He came first in the human race.

What do they call pastors in Germany?

German Shepherds.

Why did Noah have to punish the chickens on the Ark?

They were using fowl language

Why did Moses cross the Red Sea?

To get to the other side.

And, What is a dentist’s favorite hymn?

“Crown Him With Many Crowns.”

I hoped you enjoyed the following jokes to lighten your day and add a bit of pep in your step.

I have been watching, reading and studying the economic situation that President Trump has placed with our Israelite neighbor to the north which is Canada.

Let’s get a few things out of the way—what is a tariff? A tariff is a tax on imported or exported goods. Tariffs are a common trade barrier that governments use to protect domestic industries.

What is the definition of a tribute and to covet?

Money, money money—power, power, power—

When looking for the word tariff in the Bible, I don’t find it so I turned to Naves Topical Bible who referenced the word duty—the word tribute levied on foreign commerce by Solomon– 1 Kings 10:15. 

The questions arises—Biblically, is the USA to be placing tariffs or tributes upon Canada and the same applies to Canada placing tariffs or tributes upon the USA?

Under a tribute, is the USA placing an excessive tax on Canada and, in retaliation, is Canada doing the same?

 Is there a simpler solution where both countries could benefit and what would be that solution?

Le’s look at the numbers as I am asking what does Canada export to the USA: 

People also ask

How much money does Canada export to the United States?

• Base metals not specified elsewhere, cermets. Canada Exports to United States was US$431.2 Billion during 2023, according to the United Nations COMTRADE database on international trade. Canada Exports to United States – data, historical chart and statistics – was last updated on March of 2025. Courtesy of https://www.worldstopexports.com/us-most-valuable-imports-exports-with-canada/

What products are exported from Canada to United States?

• The main products exported from Canada to United States were Crude Petroleum ($97.1B), Cars ($35B), and Petroleum Gas ($14.3B). During the last 5 years the exports of Canada to United States have increased at an annualized rate of 6.04%, from $306B in 2018 to $410B in 2023. In 2018, United States exported $269B to Canada.

Which countries export the most products from Canada?

• Canada ranks among world-leading nations for exporting sawn wood, crude oil, cars and gold. The latest available country-specific data shows that 86.9% of products exported from Canada was bought by importers in: United States of America (77.6% of the global total), mainland China (4%), Japan (2.1%), United Kingdom (1.8%) and Mexico (1.1%).

Why is Canada a top export destination?

• Canada is the top U.S. export destination for more than half (50 out of 97 product categories) of all goods produced in the United States. Motor vehicles, machinery, metals and minerals, and agri-food made up more than 50% of U.S. exports to Canada in 2023. Canada buys 73% of U.S. exports of trucks and 36% of fruits and vegetables.

What was Canada exports to United States in 2023?

• Canada Exports to United States was US$431.2 Billion during 2023, according to the United Nations COMTRADE database on international trade. Canada Exports to United States – data, historical chart and statistics – was last updated on March of 2025. Base metals not specified elsewhere, cermet’s.

Here is another very interesting article from: https://nationalpost.com/news/what-is-the-u-s-getting-from-canada-here-are-the-top-ten-exports

What is Canada exporting to the United States? Here are the top 10 exports

In the first three quarters of 2024, roughly $800 billion of goods crossed the Canada-U.S. border, according to a report by TD Bank

Canada, along with China and Mexico, is one of the top three exporter of goods to the United States. In the first three quarters of 2024, roughly $800 billion of goods crossed the Canada-U.S. border, according to a report by TD Bank in January 2025. Per Statistics Canada, the United States was the destination for 75.9 per cent of Canada’s total exports. As a 2025 report by Scotiabank pointed out, trade between the countries is highly integrated; however, Canada relies a bit more on U.S. markets than the other way around.

“All goods exporting sectors, save agriculture and metals and minerals, rely on U.S. goods markets for between 74 per cent to 100 per cent of overall exports,” the report said. “Energy (crude oil, natural gas and coal) is responsible for 29 per cent of Canada’s goods exports to the U.S. in 2024 (Jan–Nov.). Machinery and equipment manufacturing, which includes automotive/parts, was responsible for 21 per cent of goods exports in the same year.”

But what else is Canada exporting? Here are the top 10 exports by value in 2024 in American dollars, according to Trading Economics based on the UN COMTRADE database on international trade.

1. Mineral fuels, oils, distillation products — $131B
2. Vehicles other than railway, tramway — $50.76B
3. Machinery, nuclear reactors, boilers — $30.31B
4. Commodities not specified according to kind — $19.30B
5. Plastics — $14.18B
6. Wood and articles of wood, wood charcoal — $11.59B
7. Aluminum — $11.49B
8. Electrical, electronic equipment — $11.24B
9. Aircraft, spacecraft — $9.25B
10. Pearls, precious stones, metals, coins — $9.11B

Here is more information for you to ponder as of 3/6/25– https://www.nbcnews.com/business/economy/canada-retaliatory-tariffs-21-billion-us-goods-trump-tariffs-latest-rcna196012

Canada on Wednesday announced new retaliatorytrade duties on some $21 billion worth of U.S. goods, a response to Trump implementing universal steel and aluminum tariffs.

Canada’s retaliatory measures follow ones announced Wednesday by the European Union targeting a range of U.S. goods worth $28 billion, including beef, motorcycles and whiskey alongside American-made steel and aluminum.

Here is an interesting tidbit for you to ponder: https://www.vox.com/politics/403927/canada-tariffs-alcohol-steel-trump-51st-state-boycott

The US is a big farm country. Canada is too. Farming requires fertilizer, and the US imports 80 percent of its potash — an important fertilizer — from Canada. Then it sells some of the products that it grows back to Canada. When I go to the grocery store, I often find “Product of the USA” and “Product of Canada” in the produce aisle.

By putting tariffs on agricultural products on both sides, you’re making things more expensive in multiple ways.

The potash becomes more expensive to import, which also means that farmers have to pay more. It also means consumers in the United States have to pay more, and so do Canadians, because Canada’s putting reciprocal tariffs on the United States.

So not only are goods more expensive to begin with, but Canadian tariffs on American imports would make my groceries more expensive.

By going after this very tight economic integration, Trump is likely to wreak havoc on both economies, but especially the Canadians.

The tariffs on various goods threaten one of the foundations of the Canadian economy, which is trade with its much larger southern neighbor. Now, it’s not like Canada will collapse all of a sudden, but the country will experience pretty significant pain if it’s having trouble exporting or importing from the US.

Fellow Christian, I hope you find this informative for this effects each of us in the USA and our Canadien brothers and sisters.

In the next column, I will give my thoughts on who is affected by the tariffs and what God says Biblically about tribute and duty upon other countries.

The question, especially since it is our neighbor just north of us, is who bears the cost and is there a solution other than tariffs?

Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.