Pence: ‘Last Thing’ Our Economy Needs Is a Trade War with Canada

August 23, 2026
6:12 pm

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Former Vice President Mike Pence’s warning against a trade war with Canada lands at a moment when the U.S. economy is still shaking off pandemic-era supply shocks and inflation spikes. Pence’s line—“the last thing we need right now, as our economy is getting back on its feet, is a trade war with Canada”—is more than a sound bite; it’s a reminder that even our closest ally can become collateral damage when tariffs are used as blunt instruments. For the firearms community, the stakes are concrete: Canadian forests supply specialty hardwoods used in premium rifle stocks, Canadian foundries pour specialty alloys for barrels and receivers, and Canadian powder makers keep certain legacy cartridges on store shelves. A tariff wall would raise costs at every link in that chain, squeezing margins for small custom shops and nudging retail prices higher for budget-conscious buyers. Beyond raw materials, the rhetoric matters. When Washington floats broad trade retaliation, Ottawa usually responds in kind, and past disputes have ensnared optics, suppressors, and even ammunition components. The 2A community learned during the 2018–2019 steel and aluminum skirmish how quickly “temporary” duties become permanent headaches for importers. Pence’s caution signals that cooler heads inside the former administration still recognize the asymmetry: Canada buys more U.S.-made firearms and accessories than it sells to us, so any escalation risks punishing American exporters who rely on that northern market. In an election year when candidates are already courting the gun vote with promises of deregulation, a self-inflicted trade shock would hand critics an easy line about “higher prices under pro-2A policies.” The takeaway for Second Amendment advocates is strategic, not partisan. Supporting trade that keeps specialized components flowing at competitive prices is consistent with the broader goal of an accessible right to keep and bear arms. Lawmakers weighing tariffs should hear from gun owners who understand that a strong domestic industry needs both friendly regulations at home and reliable supply lines abroad. Pence’s remark is a nudge to remember that economic policy and gun policy intersect on the shop floor long before they meet on the campaign trail.

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Beyond raw materials, the rhetoric matters. When Washington floats broad trade retaliation, Ottawa usually responds in kind, and past disputes have ensnared optics, suppressors, and even ammunition components. The 2A community learned during the 2018–2019 steel and aluminum skirmish how quickly “temporary” duties become permanent headaches for importers. Pence’s caution signals that cooler heads inside the former administration still recognize the asymmetry: Canada buys more U.S.-made firearms and accessories than it sells to us, so any escalation risks punishing American exporters who rely on that northern market. In an election year when candidates are already courting the gun vote with promises of deregulation, a self-inflicted trade shock would hand critics an easy line about “higher prices under pro-2A policies.”

The takeaway for Second Amendment advocates is strategic, not partisan. Supporting trade that keeps specialized components flowing at competitive prices is consistent with the broader goal of an accessible right to keep and bear arms. Lawmakers weighing tariffs should hear from gun owners who understand that a strong domestic industry needs both friendly regulations at home and reliable supply lines abroad. Pence’s remark is a nudge to remember that economic policy and gun policy intersect on the shop floor long before they meet on the campaign trail.

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