Carney’s trade agenda is necessary, but not enough

Export diversification reduces reliance on the United States. It does not rebuild the purchasing power that makes the economy resilient.

Canada’s deeper economic vulnerability is the erosion of domestic purchasing power, writes Bhagwant Sandhu. That's where Prime Minister Mark Carney, pictured, should pay close attention.The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Opinion

BY BHAGWANT SANDHU

March 25, 2026

OTTAWA—Prime Minister Mark Carney is right to diversify trade relationships away from the United States. It’s prudent. But trade decides where Canada sells, not who can buy or sustain demand. The health of an economy starts at home, in the wallets of ordinary families.

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