CANADALAND
A Weird Way to Win the Trade War with Trump
Episode guests
Podcast summary created with Snipd AI
Quick takeaways
- Canada should focus on reforming restrictive laws to empower consumers, allowing them to bypass high prices and improve economic resilience.
- Cory Doctorow advocates for creating a Canadian app store to reduce fees paid to foreign companies, fostering local development and attracting international customers.
Deep dives
The Cost of Printer Ink as a Trade Strategy
Printer ink has become one of the most expensive fluids on the market, often costing more than luxury items like the semen of a Kentucky Derby-winning stallion. This exorbitant cost is largely due to restrictive laws that prohibit Canadians from modifying or repairing American products, which allows manufacturers to inflate prices without concern for competition. The conversation highlights how the current law criminalizes consumers trying to find cheaper alternatives, like third-party ink cartridges, resulting in substantial economic losses for Canadians. Cory Doctorow suggests that rather than imposing tariffs on U.S. goods, Canada should reform these laws to disrupt the profitability of companies benefiting from such monopolistic practices.
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