The Globe and Mail reports in its Saturday edition that the United States and Canada are again engaged in a tense trade standoff, and there is little indication about what will happen next. The Globe's Joe Castaldo writes that in the interim, there have been calls for Canada to take a more aggressive stance, including export levies on natural resources such as oil and potash. Dan Ciuriak, an economist at the Centre for International Governance Innovation, says Canada's approach should be defence, not offence. Mr. Ciuriak describes Canada's new countertariffs as defensive. Ottawa's dollar-for-dollar countertariffs will take effect on Sept. 8. Mr. Ciuriak says the levies aim to protect Canadian industries, not harm American ones, especially as the U.S. appears disinterested in trade. He notes, "They're taking their ball and going home," suggesting Canada should focus on safeguarding its economy and engaging globally while the U.S. pursues protectionism. What he finds frustrating is that Ottawa's recent countertariffs are misinterpreted by the public as retaliation to pressure the U.S., when they have in fact been crafted to influence Canadian behaviour, pushing the country to wean itself off American products.