Canada must be aware that protectionism has returned which makes international trade complicated
Canada faces new pressures on any attempts to ramp up international trade. In 1994, the United States, Mexico and Canada created a free-trade region with the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Considering that the U.S. has been the largest economy in the world from 1994 to now, NAFTA was a true asset for the…
If Trump was isolationist, Biden will be more open to diplomacy and exchange with America’s allies
With the return of the Democrats to the White House, there will be changes in United States foreign policy. Canada, as the third largest U.S. trade partner, will be impacted. The presidency of Republican Donald Trump was characterized by strong protectionism. It featured a renegotiation of NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement), which led to…
We are too dependent on two of our top three customers: the U.S. and China. And both of these are increasingly hostile
Canada relies on exports. In any given year, about 45 per cent of our economy is in foreign trade. For much of the past, our exports have been mainly in the agriculture and resources sectors. These are still important, but services (think international education), manufactured goods (e.g. Lululemon clothing) and technology (e.g. the Canadarm robotic…
His political acumen falls short, as does his ability to stay on narrative or even appear genuine
Canadian conservatives like to argue that the mainstream media does its darnedest to protect Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s public image at all costs. By and large, this statement is valid. Yet there are moments when even the media can’t protect his backside – or doesn’t want to. Case in point: the PM’s interview with Rosemary…
Studies suggest these constraints cost the Canadian economy up to $130 billion a year. But we can change that
By Sen. Jane Cordy and Sen. Diane Bellemare Canada’s framework for interprovincial trade is patchy at best. While Canada has signed on to free trade agreements with countries around the world, there are significant barriers to the free flow of goods and services within our own borders. Studies have suggested that these interprovincial trade constraints…
The U.S., Canada and Mexico signed the same trade document, but each country is calling it something different
It took a couple of years, but the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, or USMCA, was finally signed on Nov. 30. Or was it? Let’s go back a few steps. All three leaders – U.S. President Donald Trump, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto (who was on his last day on the…
Protecting cultural industries from competition and propping them up with public money is just wasteful
Many advocates for cultural diversity have a sudden change of heart when the topic turns to Canada's ‘cultural industries.’ As they say in Argentina, for money, the monkey will dance. What constitutes Canadian heritage, given its complex milieu, tends to be in the eye of the beholder. However, the heritage is so weak that, supposedly,…
The economic damage of supply management to Canadian families is significant. But we failed to get rid of it in recent trade talks
The new United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) is a mixed bag for Canadians. The bright side is that it’s certainly better than having no trade agreement, and is more desirable than the massive uncertainty that comes with not knowing whether an agreement will be reached. On the down side, trade between Canada and the United States…
Donald Trump may take the credit, but you can blame CTV/Bell Media and the CRTC
Now that the nation is deep into the seasonal gridiron grind, it’s time to talk money, TV and some serious Canadian angst. No, this isn’t about why the Canadian Football League can’t draw flies in Toronto. This is about the ads, the rights and all the money that makes football a fantasy land for fans…
A clear vision and strategy for dairy’s future is imperative, with a forward-looking focus on domestic and foreign markets
The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), or NAFTA 2.0, could be the watershed moment Canadian dairy farmers have been waiting for. The federal government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has committed to compensating the dairy sector for either lost sales, higher per-unit costs or the loss in value of quotas. The government has been clear on…