Category Archives: Trade Policy

China & Private Global Regulation

Trends in Global Governance

This is an overview of the major global governance trends – treaties, governmentally-endorsed business practices and, especially, private sector standards and actions. The latter isn’t largely recognized but, even if not legally required, these voluntary practices and standards have an important impact on global trade. Brave New World CGAI June 2021

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

Keystone XL Is Dead – It’s Now a Question of Compensation

This is a column of mine in the Globe and Mail (Toronto), 25 January 2021, about the Keystone XL permit cancellation, commenting on how calls for Canadian “sanctions” or “retaliation” made by the premiers of Alberta and Saskatchewan make no sense. As well, neither the WTO Agreement nor CUSMA provide legal justification for this kind… Read More »

China’s Security Challenge

This is a commentary published by The Hill Times on 10 December 2020. It deals with resources Canada can employ to confront the security risk posed by Huawei and other Chinese enterprizes seeking to invest in Canada, most of which are either State owned and controlled or under the control or influence of the Chinese… Read More »

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