One unnoticed USMCA win: copyright extensions
With news of the conclusion of NAFTA 2.0 negotiations dominated by concessions of the supply-managed sector, auto tariffs, and dispute-settlement clauses, one big win that’s not been celebrated is the extension of Canada’s copyright term to meet international standards. Modernizing the Copyright Act to ensure Canadian rights-holders have the same protections as their international competitors […]
Steel town MPs, industry reps, cool to idea of quota-for-tariff exemption for U.S. metal duties
Federal MPs representing ridings affected by American tariffs on Canadian steel exports say they’re skeptical that a quota-based system can be a solution to the ongoing trade dispute, even after one major steel producer recently stepped forward to tell the House International Trade Committee that it would support certain quotas in exchange for a duty […]
USMCA’s ‘China clause’ may force Canada to consider sectoral trade, but experts question if China would have any interest
With the completion of a new North American free trade pact, Canada’s trade aspirations are shifting to China, but a clause in the USMCA pact makes a China-Canada free trade deal nearly impossible, which may lead Canada to instead seek a sectoral trade agreement, though it’s unclear if China would be interested, say experts. China […]
To sustain the growth of organics, Canada must take ownership of its ownership
Once considered a tiny, fledgling market, organic food and beverage production in Canada is growing at an accelerated pace. With double-digit growth rates recorded annually over the past several years, and with a grocery market share of 2.6 per cent, it is now regarded as the fastest-growing sector in Canadian agriculture. It has an estimated […]
Despite USMCA deal, the ‘sword’ of national security tariff threats still hangs over Canada’s head, say trade observers
Despite the safeguards against damaging penalties on Canada’s auto industry under the continent’s newly renamed trilateral trade agreement, the American ability to impose destructive tariffs under the guise of national security protection remains a lingering threat, according to trade experts who warn the damage may have already been done with aluminum and steel. Since May […]
Increased air travel key to closer relations between Qatar, Canada: envoy
When Qatar’s new ambassador flew to Canada for his new Ottawa posting, the few direct flights between the countries were already fully booked, underscoring an area Saoud Abdulla Zaid Al-Mahmoud wants to work on. It’s one key way the countries can tighten relations, which are relatively new: he’s the third ambassador stationed at the embassy, […]
Thanksgiving turkey with a side of partisan rancour?
While your uncle passed the stuffing at Thanksgiving dinner, did his defence of the Liberals’ record sound a little too similar to that of a backbench MP? He may have come to dinner armed with a list of Liberal talking points. As they’ve done in previous years, over the holiday weekend the federal Liberal Party […]
Canada has ‘straightforward’ path to ratify USMCA, but timeline reliant on unpredictable Americans
With a Liberal majority government, Canada has a “straightforward” path to ratify the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement before the 2019 election, but as with most of the yearlong trade negotiations, concluding the deal relies on a decidedly uncertain path in the United States. Getting to the signing stage of the renamed NAFTA pact shouldn’t be a problem, […]
Post-NAFTA fight is Trudeau’s to lose
If Justin Trudeau’s Liberals are defeated in next fall’s federal election, it will almost certainly not be on account of their management of the NAFTA file. Notwithstanding a poor initial reception in his home province, the prime minister is not likely to lose Quebec over the concessions he made on the way to keeping Canada […]
Despite dairy concessions under USMCA, Trudeau Liberals’ ambitions in Quebec likely not in peril, strategists say
The Trudeau government’s decision to bow down to U.S. pressure to loosen restrictions on access to Canada’s dairy industry is a cudgel for opposition parties, but strategists say there are limits to how far they can ride the wave of backlash from the industry. The new NAFTA deal, renamed the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, or USMCA, was […]
