Two of the world's closest trading partners and longtime allies find themselves in deepening economic confrontation, as the United States moves to ban Canadian motorcycles, alcohol, and dairy products while layering new tariffs on steel, cheese, and aluminum — all effective before the month is out. The Trump administration frames the escalation as a response to Canadian bad faith, while Ottawa insists it is simply matching American aggression dollar for dollar. What unfolds between neighbors is an old and recurring human story: the moment when the language of partnership gives way to the logic