Amid President Trump’s escalating trade tensions and threats of a 25 percent tariff on Canadian goods, Dr. Chris Keefer, President of Canadians for Nuclear Energy, is urging Canada to adopt a robust, self-reliant energy strategy based on CANDU nuclear technology.
“When your largest trading partner has a 12-times larger GDP, adopts an aggressive America-first protectionist stance, and threatens you with economic annexation, it’s time to drop the naivety, reduce vulnerabilities, and bargain from a position of strength,” Keefer stated.
CANDU, a globally recognized Canadian-origin reactor, operates on natural, unenriched uranium fuel and is custom-built for Canada’s supply chain. According to Keefer, this makes it “tariff-proof” and provides a significant economic multiplier effect within the country.
In contrast, alternatives like GE Hitachi’s small modular reactors rely on enriched uranium and globalized supply chains, potentially exposing Canada to trade vulnerabilities. “Are we so sure that President Trump, who prefers auto manufacturing in Detroit over Windsor, won’t push for nuclear components to be made in the U.S. instead of Cambridge or Burlington?” Keefer asked.
Keefer believes adopting CANDU is not only a strategic move for energy independence but also a safeguard against economic coercion. “There is a fork in the road,” he said. “Do we safeguard our sovereignty with a tariff-proof energy strategy, or do we make ourselves vulnerable with U.S. designs?”
The ongoing tariff threats and Canada’s potential response highlight the critical intersection of energy policy and international trade relations.