Playing With Trade Talk Fire on Supply Management

From: Colin Busby, William B.P. Robson, and Daniel SchwanenTo: Canadian trade watchersDate: July 9, 2025Re: Playing With Trade Talk Fire on Supply Management After climbing down on the digital services tax, Canada is back at the table with the United States to negotiate the two countries’ trade relationship. Unfortunately, Canadian negotiators have a fresh problem to […]

Provinces Need to Play if Internal Trade Barriers are to Fall

From: Internal trade watchersTo: Daniel Schwanen Date: July 7, 2025Re: Provinces Need to Play if Internal Trade Barriers are to Fall Donald Trump’s tariff threats have focused much needed attention on making trade within Canada easier. Prime Minister Mark Carney made a promise soon after the election: To have free trade by Canada Day. To that end, the federal […]

Interprovincial Trade Progress with Ryan Manucha

In the age of tariffs, it’s now or never, and Ottawa needs to accelerate the breaking-down of inter-provincial trade barriers. Institute trade expert and research fellow Ryan Manucha tells Michael Hainsworth that there’s been progress, but not enough.

Interprovincial Trade Progress with Ryan Manucha

In the age of tariffs, it’s now or never, and Ottawa needs to accelerate the breaking-down of inter-provincial trade barriers. Institute trade expert and research fellow Ryan Manucha tells Michael Hainsworth that there’s been progress, but not enough.

Carney promised internal free trade by Canada Day. Is that enough?

Published in The Globe and Mail.  U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff threats have focused much needed attention on making trade within Canada easier. Prime Minister Mark Carney made a promise soon after the election: To have free trade by Canada Day. To that end, the federal Free Trade and Labour Mobility in Canada Act, part of Bill C-5 which […]

We Should Trade US Defence Purchases for Removal of Tariffs

From: James PierlotTo: Trade and Defence Policy ObserversDate: June 30, 2025Re: Let’s Trade US Defence Purchases for Removal of Tariffs Canada’s defence spending has long been a source of friction with our allies. Now Ottawa is finally showing a sense of urgency. The commitment to meet NATO’s 2-percent target this fiscal year, earmarking $62.7 billion, and doubling […]

Where’s the economic calculus in Canada’s bold new defence pivot?

Published in the The Globe and Mail Canada’s defence spending has long been a source of friction with our allies. Now Ottawa is finally showing a sense of urgency. The government’s commitment this month to meet NATO’s 2-per-cent target this fiscal year, earmarking $62.7-billion, is a historic shift. And Prime Minister Mark Carney is in Europe this week to […]

Shooting Ourselves in the Trade Foot. Again.

From: Lawrence HermanTo: Trade ObserversDate: June 24, 2025Re: Shooting Ourselves in the Trade Foot. Again. It never ends. On June 5, Bloc leader Yves-François Blanchet tabled Bill C-202, a private member’s bill that’s yet another regrettable effort to enshrine Canada’s Soviet-style supply management system in the statute books. The bill would prohibit any increase in imports of […]

More to do: Lagging the United States severely from 2000 to 2010, Canada’s manufacturing productivity growth has caught up partially since then.

US manufacturing productivity growth has been dismal since the “Great Recession” of 2007-09, with the reasons why a mystery. During that time, growth in Canada’s manufacturing productivity has been on the rise, easily outpacing that of the United States. That’s the good news. However, the gap measured over a longer period remains and we will have to do better to attract manufacturing investments […]

With the G7 Behind Us, CUSMA Review Prep Moves into Focus

June 18, 2025 – Against the backdrop of this week’s G7 summit, Canada must avoid overreacting to escalating US trade actions and approach the upcoming Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) review with discipline and strategic calm, according to a new Verbatim from the C.D. Howe Institute. In “Urgency and Caution: Charting a Careful Path to the […]

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