Why Canada Should Resist Export Taxes Amid a Rare Commodity Boom

Heather Exner-Pirot, director at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute, praises Canada’s natural-resource sectors for delivering employment, foreign investment and soft power. She points out that recent disruptions—such as tensions in the Strait of Hormuz and concerns over the U.S. dollar—have lifted prices for oil, gold and other commodities, prompting new projects and infrastructure investment across the country. The columnist stresses that the current geopolitical climate gives trustworthy exporters a security advantage, as nations seek alternatives to rivals like Russia and China.

Against this backdrop, she criticizes calls for export taxes or production curbs aimed at the United States, calling them short-sighted and harmful to Canada’s reputation. Exner-Pirot concludes that Canada should seize the moment to expand its influence rather than inflict self-damage.