Presidential election could change course on unilateral tariff use, but Canada-U.S. trade tensions will remain: experts
With the removal of national security tariffs on Canadian aluminum exports, the fast-approaching U.S. presidential election will shape Canada-U.S. trade for the next four years, but a Biden administration won’t spell a reprieve from acrimonious trade relations, say experts. U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade relationship with Canada has been defined by the weaponization of national […]
Canada long overdue for ‘more populist voices’ to take up cause of ‘expendables’, says economist Rubin
Economist Jeff Rubin’s prescient book about the hollowing out of the middle class, or the “expendables,” as he’s phrased it, couldn’t have landed at a more opportune time. The pandemic-induced panic that led countries en masse to shutter their borders, to limit, and even ban, exports of critical personal protective equipment, and to shore up […]
Navarro’s comments stung, but they weren’t untrue
OTTAWA—Last week, there was a brief, but intense, media feeding frenzy over Canada’s long-since discontinued contribution to the war in Afghanistan. The genesis for this controversy was previously taped comments from U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade adviser Peter Navarro. The recordings were made by White House reporter Jim Sciutto as part of the research for […]
Canada could have added leverage in trade talks with U.K. as activists push for stronger environmental protections
With the United Kingdom pushing for a multitude of free trade deals as the Brexit transition period nears its end, Canada could be in a position of increasing leverage in trade talks with Britain, say analysts, while activists hope for increased environmental protections in a new pact. When the transition period expires in four months, […]
New ministerial anchoring of Canada-U.S. file is a return to regular operations, say experts
As cabinet ministers take on new roles and more voices are being added to the crucial Canada-U.S. file, experts say it is a normalization of ministerial responsibilities after the chaos of the Trump administration and the NAFTA renegotiations was met with an unconventional approach. International Trade Minister Mary Ng (Markham-Thornhill, Ont.) and Foreign Affairs Minister […]
Time to level the playing field for Canadian wine growers
In a year plagued by COVID-19, Canadian grape growers, wineries, and businesses in the hospitality, tourism and retail sectors, like their counterparts around the world, have been working with governments to address the overwhelming impacts of the pandemic. This is not surprising considering the value-added economic linkages of the Canadian wine and grape industry, which […]
Don’t expect aluminum tariffs to be removed before U.S. election, say analysts
Without the ability to impose broad-based, politically focused retaliatory tariffs on U.S. exports, it is likely that tariffs on Canadian aluminum will continue at least until after the U.S. election, as the Canadian economy is being pulled into the American election cycle, according to stakeholders and experts. The American reimposition of 10 per cent national […]
‘Weak’ trade growth in 2019 caused by ‘trade policy uncertainty’ and ‘mixed economic signals’, Global Affairs report suggests
Following a year of slow economic growth in 2019 which hurt Canadian trade, a Global Affairs report on the “State of Trade” suggests that the gloomy trade news will be likely “overshadowed” by the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The benchmark report on Canada’s international trade numbers, released by the office of Global Affairs’ […]
Shakedowns, bullying business, trade outrages: election-bound Trump spreads chaos far and wide
OTTAWA—Whatever your political stripe, you have to have some sympathy for Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland. In the face of President Donald Trump’s plan to scrap NAFTA if it could not be renegotiated along lines more advantageous to the U.S., Freeland led Ottawa’s 18-month campaign to try to build some kind of rapport with the […]
Feds have yet to make agreed-upon changes giving Parliament greater oversight over trade deals
Despite saying it would abide by agreed-upon provisions to give Parliamentarians more oversight on trade deals, the Liberal government has yet to amend its official policy on tabling trade bills in Parliament. Those provisions include tabling notice of the government’s intent to enter into free trade negotiations in the House of Commons 90 days before […]
