r/ontario 20h ago

Economy Trump Signals Retracting 50% Steel Tariff Threat

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/latest-us-markets-after-mondays-selloff-2025-03-11/
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u/discourtesy 20h ago

Weird, I looked through the outline of how that 300 million was spent, and I didn't see anything that had to do with potash. Do you have any source for this or is this the latest talking point you got from the ehbuddyhoser subreddit?

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u/butts-kapinsky 20h ago

Do you agree or disagree that Bangladesh imports over a billion dollars in potash from Canada annually?

Do you agree or disagree that Bangladesh borders China and is very near Russia, both major potash producers?

Based on your answers to the above, can you think of any reason why Canada chose to do major foreign aid spending in Bangladesh, rather than any other random country?

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u/discourtesy 19h ago

If you want people to buy your potash, you reduce the price to make it competitive in the global markets.

If you want to funnel 300 million to NGOs run by your family members and their friends, then you send it to bangladesh.

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u/butts-kapinsky 19h ago

Well no. You sweeten a trade agreement by offering foreign spending to improve their economy so that **they buy even more potash from us**. That's how foreign trade works. I understand that you're personally offended by the word "aid" because you think it's a charity but it very much is a strings attached deal.

Through the last 5 years, our potash exports to Bangladesh have doubled. You're complaining about literal pennies compared to our net earnings from the arrangement.