It is increasingly obvious that Canada isn't going to get any kind of "trade deal" or tariff deal from Trump
He is incapable of figuring out what he wants or negotiating a deal, or sticking to what he signs.
All we are left with is the CUSMA agreement we already negotiated eight years ago, plus any breaks Carney might be able to finesse on Trump's one-off tariff threats (copper, steel and aluminium). And we might as well continue with the Digital Services Tax now, because obviously Trump doesn't care about negotiating anything else with Canada anyway.

Mark Carney agreed to cancel the Digital Services Tax as a show of good faith to keep trade negotiations going and Trump is still threatening Canada with 35% tariffs. Why would anyone even try negotiating with the US when we’re this vindictive and untrustworthy?

— Joey Politano🏳️‍🌈 (@josephpolitano.bsky.social) July 10, 2025 at 9:00 PM

Of course, none of it makes sense:

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that the letters he sent to Prime Minister Mark Carney and other leaders about new tariff rates are "the deals", as Carney prepares to meet with his cabinet on tariffs and the trade negotiations.
Trump appeared to be losing patience with his administration's efforts to make trade deals with nations around the world. The president has been sending letters to trading partners, including Canada, threatening to impose higher tariff rates on Aug. 1. The letter addressed to Carney last week said Canada would be hit with 35 per cent tariffs but the White House later said it would not include goods compliant with the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement on trade.
"I watched a show this morning and they were talking about, 'Well when's he going to make the deal?' The deals are already made. The letters are the deals. The deals are made. There are no deals to make," Trump said during an Oval Office meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte.
"They would like to do a different kind of a deal and we are always open to talking."
Trump Saturday posted a letter to Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on social media which said Mexico would be hit with a 30 per cent rate.
A separate letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen declared a 30 per cent rate for the European Union.
There is no clarity on why Canada is facing a higher tariff than either Mexico or the EU.
Christopher Sands, director of Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Canadian Studies, said Canada and Mexico are the top two U.S. trade partners, and Canada is a national security partner as well.
"Now, Canada is hit with a 35 (per cent) tariff while Mexico only gets a 30 (per cent) tariff," Sands said in a text message. "Carney went the extra mile for Trump until now but he may not have the public support in Canada to continue it for long."...

Within 24 hours of receiving a threatening letter to Canada about the 35% tariffs PM Carney posted a picture of himself and the British PM saying the world is turning to reliable partners and announced the acceleration of a trade union with the UK and the European Union. #ElbowsUp #USDemocracy

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— Marie 🇨🇦 (@pawbaby2.bsky.social) July 11, 2025 at 11:46 AM

WoodSnake2025

Trump’s Tariff Gamble Backfires: How 200 Nations are Building a New Global Order without America
Trump promised ninety landmark trade deals in as many days. Two weeks before his deadline, allies shrug, rivals maneuver, and a nervous world redraws its map of commerce.
...Rather than beg for waivers, partners started building alternative routes:
European Union–India Digital Corridor extends data-sharing and fintech rules without U.S. participation.
Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) in Asia accelerates tariff cuts among fifteen nations—again, no seat reserved for Washington.
Canada–EU Green Supply Pact lets Canadian minerals flow into European batteries, bypassing U.S. red tape altogether.
Each new link makes re-entering those networks harder for America later. Trade, like water, finds the open channels available.
...As U.S. influence wavers, regional blocs gain gravity:
African Continental Free Trade Area aims to unite 1.3 billion consumers under one tariff schedule.
Latin American–China infrastructure programs expand ports and rail, locking in commodity flows independent of U.S. oversight.
Indo-Pacific digital standards increasingly mirror Japanese and Australian norms, not American ones.
...Trade is rarely about bravado; it is mostly about trust. For decades the United States benefited from a reputation for contractual stability. Companies built factories, farmers planted crops, and partners signed multi-year clauses confident that rules would hold. The current tariff blitz undermines that asset far faster than it builds leverage. Nations subject to sudden 50 percent duties respond rationally: they diversify. Alliances that once orbited Washington discover new centers of gravity, whether in Brussels, Beijing, or regional coalitions closer to home.
Domestically, the promised gains remain elusive. A tariff is only a tool, not a strategy. Without negotiated offsets—market access, IP safeguards, environmental benchmarks—the extra cost lands on someone. Consumers pay more at checkout, exporters find fewer buyers abroad, and financial markets price in volatility. Meanwhile, the calendar that once served as a political stage prop becomes a noose: every unmet deadline spotlights the gap between rhetoric and results.
Could the U.S. still reverse course? Yes, but the window narrows. Restoring credibility would require three steps: pause the across-the-board threats, prioritize a handful of strategic agreements with willing partners, and give professionals time to hammer out details before announcing victories. That approach lacks headline drama—but trade deals worth signing usually do.
Until then, the world keeps building work-arounds. Each new corridor, pact, or standard written without U.S. input reduces the leverage of any future ultimatum. The lesson is clear: in an interconnected economy, cooperation scales power better than coercion. When trust erodes, it is not fear that fills the vacuum—it is alternatives.

Here is another interesting roundup. Now, I am never sure about Dean Blundell's reporting, because he doesn't provide any sources for his assertions about Canadian politics, but here's his latest commentary:
Dean Blundell

Canada Readies MAJOR Retaliation for Trump’s “Fake Fentanyl” Tariff Threat
Ottawa’s war room is humming, Carney’s ice-cold, and Trump’s fake fentanyl excuse just blew up in his face.
...Behind closed doors, senior officials confirm Canada’s retaliation package is ready. And it goes way beyond just matching Trump’s tariffs.
Forget tit-for-tat. Carney’s cabinet is considering a mix of punishing countermeasures:
-$30 in instant retaliatory tariffs, ready to expand to $125B if Trump escalates.
-Doubling tariffs on U.S. steel and aluminum to 50%, targeting swing-state industries.
-Export quotas on critical minerals like lithium and uranium—materials the U.S. needs and Canada controls.
-Government procurement bans: Ontario, B.C., and Alberta are already moving to block U.S. companies from winning public contracts.
-Provincial alcohol bans: Yes, U.S. wines and spirits may soon disappear from Canadian shelves. Cheers to that.
-Energy policy shifts: Ottawa is quietly exploring ways to re-route Canadian oil and gas to Europe and Asia—cutting Trump’s America out of the loop.
And let’s not forget the Canadian public. The “Buy Canadian, Boycott MAGA” movement is exploding, with consumers and companies ditching American suppliers faster than you can say “supply chain collapse.”

Taco Trump says he's sticking Canada with 35% tariffs on August 1st. I think I speak for the entirety of Canada when I say that they don't give a flying fuck, Asswipe. 🌮🐔

— The Mouthy Renegade Writer (@mouthyrenegade.bsky.social) July 12, 2025 at 8:29 PM

Trump photobombs the Club World Cup winners

→ Trump was booed → Trump tried to lift the trophy → Trump got a medal → Half-time lasted 24 minutes → Cole Palmer stole the show — and swore → Luis Enrique lost his temper → And Robbie Williams cradled a woman's head The Club World Cup final was... weird. 🔗 www.nytimes.com/athletic/649...

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— The Athletic | Football (@theathleticfc.bsky.social) July 14, 2025 at 2:46 AM

So this weekend was the final of the Club World Cup tourney - this has been going on for several weeks, and it was supposed to be a run-up to get everyone excited about the 2026 World Cup in US, Canada and Mexico.
But it didn't work out very well:

An expanded Club World Cup marked by empty seats, slashed ticket prices, searing heat, weather-delayed matches and a criticized field surface ended in a surprise victory by Chelsea, the fourth-place team in the Premier League.
Among the lasting lessons was FIFA's decision to dramatically drop ticket costs as some kickoff times approached, which could impact decisions by fans thinking of attending next year's World Cup. FIFA lowered the cost to attend the Chelsea-Fluminense semifinal at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, to $13.40 from $473.90, then dropped the Chelsea vs. Paris Saint-Germain final from $330 to $199.60.
There will be 104 matches at next year's expanded 48-nation World Cup and many are likely to be on weekday afternoons....

Soccer isn't a big draw for Americans anyway, but tourists were expected to attend the games -- except CBP and ICE announced they would be "suited and booted" at the stadiums, and even though they backed off about their stupid announcement, the uncertainty caused attendance to plummet and FIFA ended up selling the tickets for cheap and still couldn't get people to come.
So anyway, finally the tournament lurched through to the Final between Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea, and Trump decided he would attend.

In New Jersey. 

What did he think was going to happen?

And then Trump will call a press conference in his office and beside him will be the restored picture with Trump's photobomb intact, and Trump will announce that all the team members came to him with tears in their eyes, demanding that the original photo be restored with Trump in it.

Call it "Sharpie-Gate 2: the Restoration"