‘We should respect each other’: South Africa says notification not given before travel ban imposed
It’s not just the decision to implement a controversial travel ban on southern African nations, which since has been revoked, but the way in which Canada went about announcing the plan, that irked South Africa’s envoy in Ottawa. Outgoing South African High Commissioner Sibongiseni Dlamini-Mntambo said she learned that Ottawa was imposing the ban not […]
Shifting trade away from the U.S. never more urgent
OTTAWA—Reducing Canada’s economic dependence on the United States by diversifying trade away from the U.S. to what the federal government now calls “overseas” markets has been an on-and-off response to American protectionism going back as far as you want to look. Promoting such a shift in sales focus among would-be Canadian exporters, for example, was […]
Expect continuity in Canada’s foreign policy and national security corridors after DM shuffle: analysts
While two new principal national security and foreign policy advisers to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau are starting in the Privy Council Office as part of an immense shuffle in the senior civil service, no sharp policy turns are expected. The shuffle of 18 senior public servants announced on Jan. 5—coupled with the retirement of 10 […]
Canada rolls the dice and engages Congress on subsidies for zero-emission vehicles
In early December, Canada mounted a “diplomatic blitz” on Capitol Hill, asking Congress to reject provisions of the Biden Build Back Better (BBB) legislation that violate provisions of the new NAFTA. There’s ample precedent for Canada engaging Congress when administrations—Democratic or Republican—disregard U.S. legal obligations or ignore the reality of our heavily integrated economies. This […]
Forthcoming Indo-Pacific strategy will be a ‘great vehicle’ for Canada-South Korea co-operation, says envoy
One of the country’s key Pacific regional partners is looking forward to seeing Canada’s highly anticipated Indo-Pacific strategy. South Korean Ambassador Chang Keung Ryong said he is “certain” that there will be “considerable room for co-operation” between Canada and South Korea on “many fronts” as part of the strategy. “Canada’s Indo-Pacific strategy, once it is […]
With mounting trade irritants and looming negotiations, the House Trade Committee faces a ‘time crunch’
A multitude of trade irritants and soon-to-start trade negotiations has left the House Committee on International Trade, which has had one meeting in the six months, with much on its docket while it breaks for Parliament’s winter break. The committee met for the first time in the 44th Parliament on Dec. 13—the first meeting since […]
Feds dive deeper into NAFTA playbook with retaliatory trade threats over looming EV tax credit
With Canada threatening the U.S. with retaliatory tariffs and the suspension of some concessions agreed to in the new NAFTA, it’s back to the old playbook for the federal government. On Dec. 10, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland (University-Rosedale, Ont.) and International Trade Minister Mary Ng (Markham-Thornhill, Ont.) sent a letter to […]
New Italian envoy trumpets Italian-Canadian links on Parliament Hill
With representation in cabinet and in the House of Commons and Senate, Italy’s new envoy in Ottawa is trumpeting the positive effect Italian-Canadians have on Parliament Hill in contributing to better relations between the two G7 nations. Italian Ambassador Andrea Ferrari said having such a large representation of Italian-Canadians in federal politics is “very important” […]
The next potential creeping Canada-U.S. trade beef: beef
As more and more Canadian exports to the U.S. are under threat from a protectionist White House and Congress, a thought-to-be-resolved issue of country-of-origin labelling for Canadian beef exports has re-emerged. In discussions with American counterparts, the Canadian government has spotlighted the issue of an electric vehicle tax credit which could threaten Canada’s auto industry, […]
To end the pandemic, Canada must stop standing in the way of global vaccine equity
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has not tired of saying it throughout the pandemic: “No one is safe until everyone is safe.” But Canada’s global vaccine diplomacy has made the world less safe, not more. The emergence of the new COVID-19 variant, Omicron, has been met in Canada with travel bans on several African countries […]
