Canada Is Working To Diversify Trade
The Canadian federal government has announced the launch of a new Strategic Exports Office. This new office is part of the Carney government’s promise to diversify trade internationally, in order to become less dependent on the United States for Canada’s exported resources, goods, and services. A pledge to increase international trade exponentially was made by Mark Carney during his political campaign and was repeated shortly after he was sworn in as Prime Minister early last year.
“Our goal for Canada is to double our non-U.S. exports over the course of the next decade,” Carney said.
Yes, The U.S. Is Important, But...
This new office will work closely with Global Affairs Canada and with Export Development Canada. Ottawa said the new Strategic Exports Office will help Canadian companies secure international business opportunities in sectors that include aerospace, defense, infrastructure, and energy. Canada’s International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu made the announcement in Toronto.
“Today we are launching Canada’s first Strategic Exports Office to help our best companies win the biggest contracts around the world," Sidhu said. "It brings strategic advocacy, government financing, and diplomatic support together in one place, and opens doors all over the world. Yes, of course, the U.S. is important, but if we’re able to open up the market and have more customers, that gives a competitive advantage in terms of landing international deals.”
Meanwhile, Canadian Trade Minister Dominique LeBlanc and his staff are back in Washington D.C. to continue informal discussions with their U.S. trade counterparts. But at this point, no formal negotiations have been scheduled. Informal discussions have intensified as the August 19th deadline for 50% tariffs on Canadian products draws closer.
But in response to those tariffs, two major unions, the International Steelworkers and the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, have posted an open letter to the U.S. Trade Representative’s Office. The two unions are requesting that the U.S. Administration reconsider its pending tariff action against Canada.
Let's Go After Back Actors
In part, the unions’ letter stated that “our priority must be to align our trade policies to address the challenges posed by unfair and predatory trade practices of countries like China, not to drive a further wedge between our nations.”
“For so long, we’ve had these strategic, economic, and defense relationships," Roxanne Brown, president of the International Steelworkers, said during an interview last week on Canadian television. "And it’s been a bit confounding to us as an international union whose members are on both sides of the border, why we, as the United States, have been targeting a country that’s been our best friend in so many ways, instead of going after bad actors.”
Jointly, the International Steelworkers and the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers represent around 1.5 million workers across North America.
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