The focus on American prosperity and national security is the latest pivot by Canadian officials as the country tries to find its footing with the new Trump administration, and - more urgently - avert the threat of blanket 25% import tariffs imposed by the US, its largest trade partner and closest ally.

The same experts have found that most importers simply pass the added cost of tariffs on to U.S. consumers by jacking up their prices — rather than going out of their way to rep