Category Archives: Negotiations

NAFTA Again – Exaggerated Controversy over Chapter 19 Panels

Here is a comment of mine published by the C.D. Howe Institute on the controversy surrounding the NAFTA binational panel system and the US objective of scrapping the thing in its entirety. A lot of hot air abounds/ Let’s look more closely at some of the facts: CD Howe Communique 11 Aug 2017

NAFTA – Everyone’s Chattering

There’s no end to the advice – well-intended on not – that Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland and her team are getting from NAFTA experts and non-experts, far and wide. Interest and engagement over NAFTA and other trade issues amongst Canadians these days thanks to Mr. Trump is probably unprecedented. But one has feel sympathy… Read More »

NAFTA Negotiations – Alternative Ways to Settle Disputes

Here is a short piece published by the C. D. Howe Institute, 24 May 2017, suggesting some options for Canada in NAFTA negotiations if the US demands removal of the existing binational panel system (in Chapter 19) for dumping and subsidy cases. While not advocating that Canada should give in, the article suggests how State-to-State… Read More »

Canada and the American Challenge

Here is a memo on the various Canada-US trade issues as we move through 2017. The critical matter is the impending NAFTA re-negotiations. This memo provides a summary review of the challenges Canada faces. https://hermancorp.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Canada-and-the-American-Challenge-April-2017.pdf

NAFTA Negotiations – Who’s In Charge In Washington?

Notwithstanding Mr. Trump’s claims that NAFTA is a disaster for the US and his priority to re-negotiate the treaty, things are not moving as planned in Washington for many reasons. I wrote an opinion piece for the Globe and Mail, 11 April 2017, on the subject, which can be viewed here. https://tgam.ca/2nWNCko

Tweaking NAFTA – Bilateral Talks May Be Best

Further to the debate sparked by President Trump’s reference to “tweaking” NAFTA when it comes to Canada-US trade, I penned the following piece in the Globe and Mail Report on Business, 17 February 2017. https://tgam.ca/2kuDEdf

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 »

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 »

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 »

Rescuing CETA – Yes, It’s Possible

The investor-State dispute settlement (ISDS) part of the CETA is the focus of Wallonia’s objections to the deal. We can actually solve that roadblock. ISDS was never a sine qua non for Canada. We replicated the NAFTA model (making some later improvements) without any real thought or analysis of whether the Canadian investment community saw ISDS as… Read More »