A Short BREXIT Primer – What It Means for Canada
With the unthinkable – being increasingly discussed – of Britain withdrawing from the EU, questions are asked as to what this means for Canada. What are the implications for the Canada UK trade? And how does it affect the Canada-EU trade agreement? The answer is simple. Brexit will mean a lot of uncertainty on the trade… Read More »
Private Rule-Making & International Trade
Recent episodes such as the Earls Restaurant issue over so-called “humane beef” illustrate the impact of private sector standards, rules and best practices on international trade, outside the realm of governments and free-trade agreements. These industry-driven rules and “regulations” are having an increasing impact on international business. See my commentary, 13 May 2016, in the… Read More »
House of Commons Trade Committee – TPP Presentation
Lawrence Herman appeared before the House of Commons Trade Committee, at their request, on 5 May 2016, to present testimony on the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP). The following are notes from Mr. Herman tabled with the Committee. Lawrence L. Herman Notes for Presentation, 5 May 2016 Introduction The following are general comments on the TPPA… Read More »
Investment Disputes: The Mesa Power Case and What It Says
Canada won another NAFTA investment dispute launched by a US investor under Chapter 11 of the NAFTA, the full 26 March 2016 decision recently being released. Observers of these investment cases are keen to search the dense wording (and this decision is no less dense than many others) to find some golden mien that will… Read More »
TPP – Brief to the House of Commons Trade Committee
Below is a Brief filed with the Standing Committee on International Trade on its examination of the Trans-Pacific Trade Agreement. HOUSE OF COMMONS STANDING COMMITTEE ON INTERNATIONAL TRADE TRANS-PACIFIC TRADE AGREEMENT – WATCHING WASHINGTON LAWRENCE L. HERMAN Herman & Associates Toronto 13 April 2016 While the Standing Committee examines the intricacies of the Trans-Pacific Partnership… Read More »
Canada and Investment Disputes-Tallying the Numbers
Canada Pays Out The federal government just announced that it was paying Mobil Investments and Murphy Oil some $19 million to satisfy a decision of a NAFTA investment arbitration panel last year. The tribunal found that certain guidelines of the Canada-Newfoundland Offshore Petroleum Board were discriminatory and thereby breached Canada’s NAFTA obligations. Although the government… Read More »
Canadian Trade Policy under the Liberals-Some Ideas
As Canada becomes more and more assertive in international markets, particularly the expanding export reach of our SMEs, we need to consider aspects of our strategy aimed at dismantling foreign trade barriers. Preferential trade agreements like the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) and the Canada-EU Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) are one way but there… Read More »
TPP – It’s a Matter of Canadians’ View of the World
Looking Ahead – The WTO in 2016
The collapse of the Doha Round a couple of years ago left the World Trade Organization with an unfortunate legacy, a wounded reputation as a negotiating forum as 10 years of effort essentially went up in smoke. Funeral rites for the Doha Round are now accepted by all save the most steadfast of believers. This… Read More »