Responding to COVID-19 with the border we have
The COVID-19 pandemic has driven policy change as dramatically as the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States did. And in both cases, the U.S.-Canada border has been a focal point. On March 18, in response to predictions of a rapid spread of this coronavirus strain, the United States and Canada jointly announced […]
Look to the new NAFTA for the roadmap to the future of the Canada-U.S. bond
Canadian leadership needs to move beyond COVID-19 border controls and turn to implementing the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Free Trade Agreement. In what is already a divisive U.S. election, we must also avoid anything that could be construed as interference. The Nov. 3 elections will decide not just the presidency, but also, crucially, one-third of the Senate plus […]
For better or for worse, the future of Canada-U.S. relations will evolve
In 1939, distinguished Canadian historian Arthur Lower opined that Canadians and Americans were bound together in so many ways that they “resemble a married couple, who must take each other for better or for worse.” The ensuing years have brought their significant ups and downs, but the relationship has endured. Some U.S. administrations, such as […]
Liberal actions are eroding the special Canada-U.S. relationship
The relationship between Canada and the United States has been one of the closest the world has ever known. From fighting side-by-side on the European front, to forming NATO, to NORAD, to creating the largest free-trade zone in the world via NAFTA, the integrated nature of the relationship is incomparable anywhere in the world. However, […]
Canada’s next trade battle: consensus building at the WTO
As an embattled international trading system is further strained by some countries’ protectionist instincts, the Canadian government continues to try to build consensus over needed reforms at the World Trade Organization amid COVID-19, but some experts say progress won’t be made until after the next U.S. election as the American government is not currently engaging […]
It’s time to learn from free trade talks and boost COVID-19 collaboration
Canadians are poised for a return to work. It will be a “new normal” with the emphasis on public health. Drawing from trade negotiation experience, we can protect ourselves by incorporating standards and certification reflecting international collaboration and consensus. The government is already pursuing this route as it collaborates internationally in the search for a vaccine. Now is […]
Canada-U.S. Relations
As COVID-19 plays out, the world finds itself at a crossroads
OTTAWA—Like the Second World War, COVID-19 has the potential to be a dividing line that will be felt around the globe for years to come. Seventy-five years ago, it was the sheer horror of the 1939-45 war, in which 60 million were killed and countries were left in ruins, that prompted Western nations, led by […]
Some politicos, dairy groups say the feds promised new NAFTA would start in August, while trade experts say start date was being hurried by Trump
Some opposition Parliamentarians say the federal government misled them on when the new NAFTA will come into force, believing they had an assurance that the updated trade pact would start at the beginning of August and not a month before, to the detriment of Canada’s dairy sector. But trade experts say the Trump administration forced the […]
Ottawa should look to Vietnam amid strained relations with China
Shortages of personal protective equipment for Canada’s frontline health-care workers due to the COVID-19 crisis have prompted urgent steps to seek new supply chains. Initial efforts by Global Affairs Canada entirely focused on China, successfully sole sourcing an expected 145 million new N95 respirators. Canada should also swiftly engage with Vietnam – a partner of […]
