Category Archives: Trade Agreements

Government Advisories & their Global Trade Impact

This commentary in the Globe & Mail, 5 August 2021, deals with the increased significance of government advisories – not legally binding, but having an important effect in the world of internatioanal trade. Business Advisories put Companies on Notice

Canadian Trade Under Threat by Biden’s Tax Credit Plan

Going Green under the Biden Plan Threatens Canadian Interests – MLI 15 November 2021

China & Private Global Regulation

Line 5 & the Canada-US Pipeline Treaty

This comment looks at the 1977 Pipeline Treaty, binding on the United States, designed especially to guaranty unimpeded pipeline transit. It was approved by the U.S. Senate (including by then Senator Biden) specifically to prevent any state or province from interfering with hydrocarbon shipments. This means the U.S. president has to take steps to ensure… Read More »

Reshoring Initiative Targets Behaviours, Not Laws

This is an opinion piece of mine in the Globe & Mail (Toronto), 20 April 2021, commenting on how private sector actions – such as guidelines, standards and certifications – can affect international business and trade. These are developments that don’t depend on, and are separate from, governmental actions like statutes or treaties. https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/commentary/article-reshoring-initiative-targets-behaviours-not-laws/

World Trade Organization-Comment on its Many Challenges

This is an opinion piece published in the Globe and Mail, 3 March 2021. It comments on two main institutional factors that will impact on the future of the WTO, noting these are among the many formidable challenges facing the new Director-General. Can the WTO be Saved

How Should Canada Respond to Biden’s Buy American Policies?

Here is my commentary – published by the MacDonald-Laurier Institute, 25 February 2021 – on the various aspects of President Biden’s new Buy American policies and their implications for Canadian suppliers. https://bit.ly/2PdQpJl

Bibliography – Publications, Articles, Papers (1978-2021)

This is a listing of Lawrence Herman’s published articles, etc. over the last 40 or so years. A selection of newspaper columns and editorial comments are included here. Bibliography-current to Feb 2021

EU-China Investment Treaty Raises Concerns

This comment deals with the legal and geopolitical ramifications of the recent EU-China investment treaty. It notes that Canada also has an investment agreement with China, concluded at a different time and when there was seen to be value in this kind of deal with China. Investment Treaty with China Raises Concerns-Globe 14 Jan 2021

2021 Trade Priorities: Make CUSMA Work & Fix the WTO

This is a comment of mine, printed in the Financial Post on 15 December 2020, with some recommendations for 2021 for those ministers in the Trudeau government in charge of Canadian trade policy, including the PM himself. 2021 trade priorities-Financial Post Op-Ed CDHI Reprint