Category Archives: General
Export Controls & Economic Sanctions – 2016
Together with the 2016 Trade Remedies Primer, we’ve prepared a basic outline of Canada’s Export Controls and Economic Sanctions, to explain in clear and, hopefully, in non-legalistic terms how the system works. Like the trade remedies companion piece, it’s boiled down to the main ingredients. To get the primer, just click on the link below.… Read More »
Some Recent Comments in the Press
There are some recent comments of mine picked up in the press over the last few days (24-31 May 2015). First is an editorial in the Toronto Globe and Mail on the state of Canada-Japan trade talks. To read the comment, click here. Second is a piece by Mike Blanchfield of the Canadian Press on… Read More »
Trans-Pacific trade pact on the slow track
This was an op-ed piece of mine published on May 9, 2014, in the Financial Post. Lawrence L. Herman: If a TPA bill is ever passed, Obama’s authority will likely be on a tight leash The Trans-Pacific Partnership trade negotiations continue to move along, with Japan now intensively involved and the government of South Korea… Read More »
Keystone – Is the US Breaching International Law?
This was an op-ed of mine in the on-line version of the Globe and Mail (Toronto), 29 April 2014. It elicited many comments. Approval of Keystone XL suffers delay after delay. Whether one is for or against, it’s obvious the project has become hostage to the unpredictable forces of American politics. It’s hard to get… Read More »
Ukraine Crisis – Canada Extends Sanctions Net
There are now 41 individuals listed as designated persons plus three Russian banks. This extends the scope of the sanctions that were promulgated in March. For Canadian businesses, the critical part of the sanctions is the following: 3. It is prohibited for any person in Canada and any Canadian outside Canada to (a) deal in any… Read More »
More Problems in Washington
A note on problems in the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade negotiations. The Obama administration still doesn’t have legal negotiating authority – called Trade Promotion Authority or “fast track” – something only the Congress can provide. And Congress is so far NOT moving ahead with the required legislation. Canadian officials keep saying “Don’t worry. Be happy. It’s… Read More »
Canada Sanctions the Russians
As widely known, Canada has applied sanctions against Russia as a result of that country’s aggressive actions in Crimea. The Canadian sanctions flow from a law called the Special Economic Measures Act, which gives broad authority to the federal cabinet to apply sanctions where it is of the opinion that, “. . . a grave… Read More »
The Canada-Korea Trade Deal
Here is a piece I wrote as an op-ed in the Financial Post on 25 February 2014. Lawrence L. Herman: Big Three stall Canada-Korea trade deal Special to Financial Post | February 25, 2014 The tug-of-war in Canada’s long-delayed trade agreement with South Korea, reported regularly in this newspaper, continues. It’s not a happy story. Pulling… Read More »
Trade Talks and the US Congress
There was an excellent article by Barrie McKenna in the Globe on February 9, 2014, pointing out the importance of the Obama administration getting trade negotiating authority from the Congress, called Trade Promotion Authority or “TPA”. That authority expired in 2002 and hasn’t been renewed. A new TPA bill has been introduced in both the… Read More »