The World This Hour - The World This Hour for 2025/02/11 at 06:00 EST

Episode Date: February 11, 2025

The World This Hour for 2025/02/11 at 06:00 EST

What does a mummified Egyptian child, the Parthenon marbles of Greece and an Irish giant all have in common? They are all stuff the British stole. Maybe. Join me, Mark Fennell, as I travel around the globe uncovering the shocking stories of how some, let's call them ill-gotten, artifacts made it to faraway institutions. Spoiler, it was probably the British. Don't miss a brand new season of Stuff the British Style. Watch it free on CBC Gem. From CBC News, it's the World This Hour. I'm Joe Cummings.

Canadian officials will try to talk the Trump administration out of it, but as it stands right now, 25% American tariffs will be imposed on Canadian steel and aluminum as of March 12th. If it comes to that, our response, of course, will be firm and clear. We will stand up for Canadian workers, we will stand up for Canadian industries.

That's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau saying there will be a Canadian response to the Trump trade action. But first, the Canadian premiers are in Washington for a joint lobbying effort aimed at convincing the Trump administration that tariffs are not in their best interest. Kate McKenna has more. This is about changing minds and changing minds not just in the short term, but changing minds up for the long term. Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe is pushing a message to American lawmakers. Changing minds, and changing minds not just in the short term, but changing minds up for the long term.

Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe is pushing a message to American lawmakers. Tariffs make things more expensive and will kill Canadian and American jobs. But his message doesn't appear to be taking root. For Donald Trump, hurting Canadian business is the point. Yesterday he announced a 25% tariff on steel and aluminum. Tens of thousands of Canadian jobs are directly tied to those industries. Trump's angling to move those jobs south of the border. If we make it in the United States, we don't need it to be made in Canada.

We'll have the jobs. That's why Canada should be our 51st state. Catherine Cobden is the president and CEO of the Canadian Steel Producers Association. If this is going forward, Canada, it's time to act. A senior Canadian government official says Canada is looking to build a response with its allies, since this applies to every country that exports steel and aluminum into the United States. Kate McKenna, CBC News, Washington. As for the industry response here in Canada, Quebec's aluminum sector is on the front lines of this tariff action, and it's a looming crisis they were forced to live through not that long ago.

Steve Vrucovina reports. Quebec is the biggest supplier of aluminum to the U.S., providing 60% of all imports. In 2018, during another trade dispute, Trump imposed a 10% tariff on the metal for about a year. Diaz Yang is a PhD candidate in political science at McGill. That was quite detrimental. There was an estimated about 3 billion costs on the Canadian economy. Trump eventually lifted those tariffs while he was fighting for re-election. Vivek Ashtvesh is a marketing professor at McGill. He says the industry here failed to learn its lesson in 2018. The dependence of aluminum producers on the United States has

remained the same and marginally increased and we have not been able to find substitute markets or countries where this aluminum can be exported. Jiang says the US being so close to Canada is still the best possible option. Economically it just makes so much more sense. Both experts agree Trump's unpredictability makes crafting a response to his tariff threats a challenge. Steve Rukavina, CBC News, Montreal. In the midst of the ongoing tariff threat,

Conservative leader Pierre Polyev is addressing another potential threat to come, one involving Canada's Arctic security. Juanita Taylor has more. Our safety, territory and trade with the U.S. requires we take back control of our North. Pierre Pauliev unveiled part of his plan while touring Iqaluit, how he would accomplish security and stability in the North should he become the country's next Prime Minister. It includes doubling the size of Canada's r Rangers, adding more icebreakers and building Canada's first permanent Arctic military

base in Iqaluit. Hostile powers want our resources, our shipping routes and to be in striking distance of our continent. Poliev is taking aim at the Russian and Chinese governments. He says both have been eyeing the Arctic because of its viable shipping lanes due to climate change. A timely reference says former Nunavut senator Dennis Patterson who says there is a need to work more closely with the United States. It's in our mutual interest in defending and protecting our northern border. Juanita Taylor, CBC News, Yellowknife. And that is The World This Hour. Remember you can listen to us wherever you get your podcasts. The World

This Hour is updated every hour, seven days a week. For CBC News, I'm Joe Cummings.