ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED | MARCH 16, 1940 | CANADIAN COUNTRYMAN
This cartoon, appearing in March 16, 1940 edition of the Canadian Countryman depicts the national personifications of Great Britain and Canada, John Bull and Johnny Canuck, arm in arm attempting to move forward together despite the bag labelled “Tariff” tied around their leg. The intended message is a simple one that would be easily comprehended by Canadian farmers then and today: high tariffs and other protectionist barriers are an impediment to the material progress of all nations involved. Tariffs were a constant issue for Canadian farmers, as it restricted their access to markets for their surplus produce. Beginning in 1876, successive Conservative and Liberal governments had consistently implemented Sir John A. MacDonald’s National Policy, which called for high tariffs to stimulate Canadian industry and provide a check on American expansionism.
As a British Dominion, Canada enjoyed the benefits of imperial preference, a system of reduced tariffs in the exchange of goods between members of the Empire. Imperial preference had long been a sticking point in free trade negotiations with the United States, who increasingly made up a large portion of Canadian imports and exports. World War II, which began in 1939, put even more pressure on this system and emboldened its opponents. The Canadian war economy became extremely dependent on American imports, however this was not matched by Canadian exports and a massive trade deficit developed. Farmers and their advocates like the Canadian Countryman pushed for an elimination of the system of tariffs that had dominated the first four decades of the twentieth century.
Ultimately these efforts were successful, and the immediate post-war era saw a drastic reduction in trade barriers and protectionist policies across the world. This proved to be a boon for Canadian farmers and producers who obtained freer access to American and other world markets in the midst of the massive post-war recovery. It also laid the groundwork for greater economic integration between Canada and the United States, a process that continues to this day (despite ongoing renegotiations) in the form of the North American Free Trade Agreement.