Canada stands up to cowboy trade policy.

[RB TexLa]

Just as the world opposed the America's cowboy diplomacy the world is opposing America's cowboy trade policy. At least now we have a president that will listen to the world. And there should be no "Canada exception," this trash should be thrown in the ash bin of history were it belongs.


Canada prefers broad solution to Buy American issue

TORONTO (Reuters) – Canada is willing to explore all options to resolve concerns about "Buy American" requirements in U.S. economic stimulus legislation, but an exception solely for Canadian trade is not Ottawa's preference, the trade minister said on Sunday.

"We will pursue all possibilities for Canada's interests, (but) we will also share our concern on a broader level," International Trade Minister Stockwell Day said on CTV's "Question Period" program.

"An exception for Canada would be something, obviously, that would better than having none," Day said when asked what message he gave to U.S. officials in discussions at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

"I also said, from a broader point of view, we are aware of (U.S.) industry leaders saying to their elected representatives that (a Canadian exception) is not a good idea because they have interests in other parts of the world."

The "Buy American" measure, which would require public works projects to use only U.S.-made iron and steel, passed the House of Representatives in January as part of an $825 billion bill to boost the U.S. economy.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090201/pl_nm/us_economy_buyamerican_6

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

1. The Canada/US border is a technicality

Lashing out at Canada is unlikely to be very productive but would be extremely costly. If nothing else they will abandon their unpopular mission in Afghanistan and will also likely cancel US defense orders.

There is also massive Canadian investment in the US industrial sector, if they are being discriminated against in the US market they will not hesitate to eliminate their US workforces.

[anonymous171]

2. Uhh why is this a good thing?

[whoneedstickets]

3. The buy-American provision is a contravention of NAFTA..

A key element of the CUSFTA and later NAFTA was that governments could not discriminate against non-native companies in contract bids. Presumably this involved materials sourcing too. The Canadian government will win a NAFTA appeal against this.

[alarimer]

4. NAFTA is an obscenity that needs to be repealed.

It is one of the reasons we are in this mess.

[OhioChick]

5. It sure is.....but only one reason.

Let's not forget CAFTA, WTO, Outsourcing/Offshoring, H-1B's, and the
list goes on and on.

NAFTA should be repealed or at least renegotiated.

[RB TexLa]

6. NAFTA will not be repealed or renegotiated.

[Cronopio]

9. Oooh, love that dogmatism.

Any law can be repealed and any agreement can be negotiated.

All too easy. And because I'm right, I win.

[Oregone]

16. Yes, but you need to walk carefully past repealing it.

Are you going to impose moderate and "fair" tariffs, or are you going to ban foreign goods or impose trade-war level tariffs? Getting rid of NAFTA is half the answer, but beyond that people need to figure it out carefully. There is no room for error this time around, just like there wasn't when we screwed it all up in 1930

[Waiting For Everyman]

7. No it isn't.

Buy American is already the law for government projects, and not incompatible with current trade agreements including NAFTA. Just not enforced under Bush.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x266515

[whoneedstickets]

10. Sorry, You are wrong, NAFTA like any Treaty ratified by the Senate..

..becomes the supreme law of the land and supersedes prior law. US firms have been bidding on Canadian government contracts, and vice-versa, for some time

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1052/is_n4_v118/ai_19311118

Here is an analysis of NAFTA's provisions. I would direct you to the section on Government Contracts.

http://www.tradeobservatory.org/library.cfm?refID=24418

Canada would win an appeal, however, the US could dodge and delay long enough to make the question moot (though civil damages could be involved).

Some details and tips for Canadian Companies seeking US govt contract:

http://www.summitinsight.com/press/article_profitx_6May04.htm

ON EDIT:

Here is the info on the supremacy clause as it relates to treaties. NAFTA supersedes a 76 year old federal law.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supremacy_Clause

[Waiting For Everyman]

11. Maybe you could take that up with Sen. Sherrod Brown.

Meanwhile, I'll believe him instead of you.

[whoneedstickets]

12. Yeah, as a politician he would never say anything untrue..

...just to curry favor with his constituents. A fervent belief in the words of dogmatists that flies in the face of facts is a habit of mind for Freepers.

[Waiting For Everyman]

13. I see. Down to ad hominum, huh?

[whoneedstickets]

15. You deserved it...

..no effort to engage the facts I presented, no effort to counter with any argument, just dismissive BS. You earned the comparison.

[Waiting For Everyman]

17. Like I care.

[ThomWV]

8. From way in the back of my memory: Isn't there a major wind turbine manufacturer in Canada?

For some reason I've got it in my head that a major manufacturer of wind turbines is located in Canada and aren't we getting ready to buy an awful lot of those things?

[whoneedstickets]

14. self deleted

wrong thread