The recent announcement by the Trump administration to impose 25% tariffs on all products from Mexico and Canada is an outrageous attack on the livelihoods of working people across North America. These tariffs, which are not only economically destructive, are also designed to deepen U.S. monopoly control over the entire region. We stand in solidarity with the working class of Mexico, Canada, and the U.S., and we reject any attempt to divide us by nationality or pit us against one another in a race to the bottom.

The Trump administration’s rhetoric, including referring to Canada as the “51st state,” reveals a broader agenda: the dismantling of national sovereignty and the consolidation of power for U.S. monopoly capital. This is not about “fair trade” or protecting jobs — it is about boosting profits for a handful of corporations at the expense of workers everywhere.

The fate of workers in all three countries are tied together. The modern production process, particularly in industries like auto manufacturing, demonstrates our interconnectedness. A single product or its parts may cross borders multiple times before completion. “Protectionist” policies seek to divide us and will only harm workers across the continent. What we need is a united front of working people to defend the right to secure, good-paying jobs for all workers, regardless of nationality.

History has shown that protectionist policies, such as those proposed by Trump, do not protect workers. Instead, they lead to harsher job cuts, lower living standards, and increased tensions between nations. The aggressive protectionism of the 1930s, which exacerbated the Great Depression and contributed to the lead-up to World War II, serves as a stark reminder of the dangers of such policies. We cannot allow history to repeat itself. Likewise, the decades-long class war waged against working people under the auspices of “free-trade” must be exposed as tools of the capitalists to further subjugate the entire working class.

The Trump administration is planning a new stage in the class war, starting with attacks on immigrants, workplace raids, and deportations. These attacks are part of a broader assault on the social and democratic rights of all workers. The struggles of workers in Mexico, Canada, and the U.S. are interconnected. U.S. workers cannot defend our jobs at the expense of our Canadian and Mexican class siblings. Instead, we must unite in a common fight against the monopolies that exploit us all.

We call on the working class in the U.S. to stand together with workers in Canada and Mexico against the trade war and the whole capitalist system that fuels it. Our strength lies in our solidarity. Only by uniting across borders can we resist the attacks on our jobs, our rights, and our futures. Together, we can build a movement that prioritizes the needs of the working class over the profits of the billionaires.

Image: A grungy american flag with stars on it (pixabay) / Grunge Canadian Flag by pR1m3vil (deviantart.com) / Mexico Grunge Flag by Nicolas Raymond (CC BY 2.0)

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