Another check on the administration could be the fear of tariff-induced inflation. Americans’ experience of the highest price rises in 40 years helped doom Kamala Harris’s election bid. Mr Trump may not want to be seen as the architect behind surging prices of everything from Americans’ breakfast avocados to their newest set of wheels.

If Canada seeks to retaliate over U.S. president-elect Donald Trump's tariff threat, the government should hit the U.S. where it hurt would both economically and politically, some trade experts suggest.

Canada is the top export destination for 36 U.S. states. Nearly $3.6 billion Canadian (US$2.7 billion) worth of goods and services cross the border each day.