PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The Trump administration has held off on imposing steep tariffs on products from Mexico and Canada for now, but the recently retired ambassador to Canada—former Comcast vice president David Cohen—says even the ongoing threat of tariffs could have a serious impact on the U.S. economy.
Cohen had many prominent jobs in Philadelphia—mayoral chief of staff, lead partner at a major law firm, and executive vice president at Comcast—so he was well-prepared to make deals as ambassador to Canada for the Biden administration.
He represented the U.S. in Canada for nearly four years and says, even then, border security was on the table. Cohen says, during his tenure, using diplomacy, the Biden administration reached a number of agreements with Canada, including the border security deal Trump referenced as the reason for the 30-day pause on tariffs.
“It was an active issue of conversation the entire time I was in Canada," Cohen said.
And he says the Biden administration’s concerns about the illegal migration of people and the illegal trafficking of fentanyl across the border were the same then as the Trump administration’s are now. Though statistics show less than 1% of undocumented migrants and only half of 1% of fentanyl in the U.S. get in through Canada.
“This was truly going flea hunting with an elephant rifle,” he said. “It was just too extreme a tactic to get Canada’s attention.”
He says he believes the Trump administration is right to be concerned about the border with Canada but describes imposing tariffs as “a nuclear option when a nuclear option is not called for.”
Cohen believes the investment and growth implications for the U.S. economy as a result of the looming threat of tariffs is very serious and risks harm to the nation.
“It’s why the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the U.S. Farm Bureau, multiple United States governors, United States trade associations, United States businesses have unanimously weighed in against these tariffs,” he said.
Cohen adds he’s not sure what more the Trump administration is looking for in order to kill the tariffs for good.