The Globe and Mail reports in its Thursday edition that Prime Minister Mark Carney's meetings in Beijing present an opportunity to throw a counterpunch at President Donald Trump, using the President's pet product -- cars. Guest columnist Drew Fagan writes that when experts characterize the depth of the Canada-U.S. relationship by saying the two countries don't trade things so much as make them together, they mean cars, first and foremost. Now Mr. Trump wants to move all that production to the U.S. Enter China. Canada and the U.S. are sealed tight against low-priced Chinese electric vehicles with 100-per-cent tariffs. China responded with tariffs on Canadian agricultural products, such as canola, of up to 100 per cent. What if Ottawa let a Chinese EV company jump the tariff by setting up production here, in return for tariff concessions by China? A limited EV foothold in Canada likely would not elicit all-encompassing tariff concessions from Beijing. China might go easy given the chance to put one over on Mr. Trump. And the President's reaction? He will not be happy, but it might show Mr. Trump that Canada has cards to play, too. Behold the new mercantilism, where investment is based on politics and not market forces.