This blog was re-printed with some additions in the Toronto Globe & Mail’s Report on Business, 5 August, 2015. To read that op-ed commentary, click here. The TPP talks in Hawaii last week – with much hoped-for anticipation – unfortunately didn’t reach agreement. The 12 countries were getting pretty close but some tricky issues remained… Read More »
Many of us are hopeful that the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations will wrap up sometime soon and that the deal will require Canada to open up its highly-protected dairy, poultry and eggs sectors – dairy being the most egregiously protected, outmoded Soviet-style regime. Trade negotiations aren’t a zero-sum game, and if Canada has to compromise… Read More »
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 »
There is no end to the thoughtful critics of Canada’s Soviet style supply management system for the dairy, poultry and eggs producing sectors. Not only have leading Canadian think-tanks like the C.D. Howe Institute, the Conference Board and the School of Public Policy at U. Calgary produced reports highly critical of this antiquated system, here… Read More »
There are some recent comments of mine picked up in the press over the last few days (24-31 May 2015). First is an editorial in the Toronto Globe and Mail on the state of Canada-Japan trade talks. To read the comment, click here. Second is a piece by Mike Blanchfield of the Canadian Press on… Read More »
We are getting down to the wire on a possible Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) deal. Top negotiators from all TPP countries are meeting in Guam 15-26 May to try to put some of the final touches on the accord. A lot of things still have to fall into place, notably the US Congress granting long-delayed negotiating… Read More »
There are over 2,500 bilateral investment treaties that incorporate investor-State dispute settlement (ISDS) mechanisms. These allow foreign investors to bring binding arbitration against host-States for allegedly unfair or arbitrary actions (laws or other measures) affecting the value of their investments. There’s growing concern among informed persons over this entrenched model, as I’ve commented on before.… Read More »
I find it odd that the Canadian business community hasn’t said anything about the moves in the US Congress to use trade sanctions to counter alleged exchange rate manipulation by other countries as a way of stimulating their exports. This issue has been a bug-bear to US politician for years, principally focused on China. The… Read More »
It’s called “fast-track” but it’s no such thing. What’s unfolding in the US Congress is bizarre. The rationale behind fast track – or Trade Promotion Authority – is to give the President a Congressional mandate to negotiate and sign trade agreements with the assurance that, once signed, the Americans wont then come back to the negotiating… Read More »