The dissonance between Trudeau’s progressive ideals and mainstream beliefs among the Chinese people is part of the reason why Trudeau found it hard to strike a trade deal with China during his recent state visit.

In a non-NAFTA world, Canada and the U.S. will still continue to trade and the U.S. will continue to be Canada’s largest trading partner, albeit under somewhat different rules. The real change will be psychological. In the eyes of many in Canada, the U.S. can no longer be trusted to play by the rules, and to assume its traditional role as a champion for liberalized trade. Against this backdrop, Canada and China are going through the preliminary stages of launching their own trade negotiations.