Category Archives: United States
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 »
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
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 »
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 »
Wither TPP
My commentary in the 23 August 2016 edition of the Globe & Mail’s Report on Business suggests – from all the signals coming out of Washington – that the likelihood of US approval of the TPP Agreement is fading. See it here: http://bit.ly/2bM3DpD There may be a glimmer of hope but with key Congressional leaders… Read More »
Trans-Pacific Trade – Canada Under Pressure
With the passage by the US Senate of Obama’s long-sought-after trade negotiating authority this week, the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) effort will start to move to its final wrap-up. Other countries were holding back until the necessary bill (called Trade Promotion Authority or “fast-track”) was enacted. This will put tremendous pressure on Canada to open up… Read More »