Canada, 10 Fiefdoms with Inter-Provincial Tariffs

President Trump might want to engage in tariff agreements with the ten provincial governors in Canada, rather than the one prime minister in Ottawa.

Separate US agreements with Alberta might tamp down the "We want to join the United States" movement and save Ottawa some embarrassment.

The US could ignore Quebec. We produce much better wine in California, Oregon, and Washington than Quebec does.

Ever notice that chicken sold in B.C. is more expensive than it is in other provinces? That's because the price is set by a provincial chicken board (yes, you read that right). Or that fruits and veggies are packaged and labelled differently in Quebec compared to Manitoba? Those are just a few ways that food is subject to internal trade barriers. Another example: in the early 2000s, when B.C. was hit by a drought, Alberta farmers stepped in to share their healthy harvest. The trucks transporting hay between the two provinces hit a snag, having to follow B.C.'s load safety regulations.

We can agree on trade and let the Canadians deal with their own self-imposed idiotic regulations. To be fair, we have enough of our own idiotic self-imposed regulations to sort out.

Other notable trade barriers in Canada:

Toilet seats: Ontario says toilets at construction sites need to have "open-front" seats; Alberta is "toilet-seat neutral." Maple syrup: Not every province thinks their neighbour's sap is up to snuff; maple syrup grading differs across the country. Truck driving: Certain trucks can only be driven at night in B.C., but in Alberta, the same trucks are only driven by day.

Quotes from CBC.