Some of the purported concessions that led to a 30-day pause on the tariffs were things Canada and Mexico had already done before Trump’s threat, but it’s complicated.

F or four years, the popularity of Canada’s governing Liberal Party had been declining. When its leader, Justin Trudeau, announced that he would step down as prime minister on January 6th, the party was as unpopular as it has ever been in its 158-year history.

Some Canadian politicians previously suggested tossing Mexico from a three-nation trade agreement with the United States.