About The Trade War Index
Independent Economic Visualization Platform · Updated October 7, 2026
01. Mission & Overview
The Trade War (tradewarindex.com) is an independent open data visualization publication dedicated to demystifying the complex bilateral trade relationship between Canada and the United States. Our live index, interactive tariff maps, and household impact models provide citizens, researchers, business owners, and journalists with real-time clarity on tariff escalation.
Trade disputes involve billions of dollars in industrial flows and thousands of Harmonized System (HS) product codes. We translate government tariff announcements and customs schedules into accessible, transparent, and neutral economic analysis.
02. Official Data Sources & Methodology
All trade values, tariff rates, and product classifications tracked across our indices are synthesized directly from primary government agencies and multilateral trade organizations:
- Statistics Canada (StatCan): Canadian International Merchandise Trade (CIMT) annual datasets and provincial export breakdown tables.
- U.S. Census Bureau & Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA): Foreign trade bilateral trade flow summaries and NAICS trade statistics.
- Department of Finance Canada & Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA): Official customs notices, Countermeasures Acts, and retaliatory tariff schedules.
- Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) & Department of Commerce: Section 232, Section 301, and Presidential Proclamations on tariff rates.
- World Trade Organization (WTO) Tariff Online Database: Baseline Most-Favoured-Nation (MFN) and preferential USMCA rate baselines.
03. Editorial Independence & Neutrality
The Trade War is completely non-partisan and operates without sponsorship or influence from political parties, government agencies, or commercial lobbying groups. Our models assess economic cost and pass-through rates symmetrically from both Canadian and American consumer perspectives.
Calculations such as household basket impacts reflect established economic pass-through literature (assuming 60%–80% retail pass-through on imported consumer goods over medium-term horizons) and are clearly disclosed alongside our methodology notes.