Category Archives: Canada-US trade
Beyond NAFTA – A New Bilateral Trade Deal With the US?
I wrote an opinion piece in the Globe and Mail in January 2017, saying that a possible approach for Canada is to look beyond NAFTA as a three-way agreement and to consider a NEW BILATERAL TRADE DEAL with the US. Given the problems in resolving Trump’s concerns over Mexico within the NAFTA as it is… Read More »
Order and Disorder in International Trade
“You’re going to pay a very large border tax”. That’s what President-elect Trump said at his January 11 news conference (if it can be called that) about US companies that manufacture abroad, repeating statements he repeatedly made on the campaign trail. It seems fair to predict this blustering will become actual US policy post January… Read More »
Trump, Trade and the Canadian Dimension
With Mr. Trump’s election as president, every carefully orchestrated American policy (like China and Taiwan) and every nuanced and finely negotiated treaty (like the Iran nuclear deal) is up for grabs. That is equally true for trade agreements like the NAFTA, repeatedly slammed by Mr. Trump as the worst deal every signed by the United… Read More »
Canada, NAFTA, TPP, APEC and Trade under Trump
Here is my recent BNN interview of what seems to be looming for Canada in international trade with the Trump presidency likely to take a nationalistic and protectionist approach, not only regarding the ill-fated Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement but also in bilateral matters under the NAFTA. http://bit.ly/2fxxbaQ
Trump and Trade – Whither NAFTA
As we try to come to grips with all the implications of the Trump ascendency, there are some important points for Canada to contemplate when it comes to bilateral trade matters. First, Trump will move quickly to demand re-negotiation of the NAFTA and while his acrimony is focused on Mexico, as a trilateral agreement Canada… Read More »
Canadian Trade, Mrs. Clinton & the Democrats
Here is the link to a commentary of mine in the Globe & Mail Report on Business, 27 September 2016. It was written following the first presidential debate. http://bit.ly/2cKBfph In it, I say Canadians must not be naive to think our trade relations will be all sweetness and light under a Democratic administration. The protectionist mood… Read More »
BC’s Non-Resident Home Purchase Taxes and International Trade
Comments have been made in some quarters about the recently-announced 15% tax imposed by the BC government on non-resident purchases of residential property to the effect the measure might offend Canada’s obligations under the NAFTA. These come as a surprise, since few would have thought that an internal measure like this would even remotely involve… Read More »
Private Rule-Making & International Trade
Recent episodes such as the Earls Restaurant issue over so-called “humane beef” illustrate the impact of private sector standards, rules and best practices on international trade, outside the realm of governments and free-trade agreements. These industry-driven rules and “regulations” are having an increasing impact on international business. See my commentary, 13 May 2016, in the… Read More »
Canada and Investment Disputes-Tallying the Numbers
Canada Pays Out The federal government just announced that it was paying Mobil Investments and Murphy Oil some $19 million to satisfy a decision of a NAFTA investment arbitration panel last year. The tribunal found that certain guidelines of the Canada-Newfoundland Offshore Petroleum Board were discriminatory and thereby breached Canada’s NAFTA obligations. Although the government… Read More »