Trade and International Policy - Op Eds

Published in the Globe and Mail

The three-country review of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) starts in 2026. Whoever’s in the White House – whether it’s Joe Biden or Donald Trump – there could be a renegotiation of large parts of the agreement with the Americans in the driver’s seat. 

In preparation, raising Canada’s profile among key U.S. constituencies, reinforcing Canada’s importance and reliability as a trading partner, and underscoring the win-win situation under USMCA, is the right strategy.

There have been some good things done already, such as the recent Team Canada parade, aimed at showing American decision-makers the value of our close political and commercial relations. The flurry…

Published in the Globe and Mail

In the shadow of escalating global conflicts and the pressing demand for military supplies, a critical component of national security is being overlooked: the strategic importance of pulp and paper. Traditionally seen as mundane commodities, these materials are in fact pivotal in the production of military-grade components such as nitrocellulose, a key ingredient in artillery ammunition.

Canada, home to vast tracts of forest, has long been a powerhouse in pulp and paper production. Yet, recent developments raise concerns about national security.

The March, 2023, acquisition of Resolute Forest Products by privately held Paper Excellence – among other purchases of Canadian producers by…

Published in the Financial Post

Though only Canada’s tiny interprovincial trade community noticed, in last month’s budget the federal government committed to working on reducing internal trade barriers and outlined concrete next steps that could make a tangible impact.

Provincial protectionism, regulatory capture by interest groups, intra-governmental turf wars, collective action problems, and humankind’s general default to inertia have plagued domestic trade liberalization since Confederation. Strong central leadership has always been key to reform, and Ottawa finally seems to be rolling up its sleeves on one of the most intractable issues facing our economic union.

New vocabulary in what has become an obligatory…

The global economy has become fragmented, and an important cause has been the inability of international trade and finance governance institutions to adapt to changing realities. However, Canada has a unique opportunity to help repair today’s global trading system.

This year, the country is chairing the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership Commission. The CPTPP is a free-trade agreement between Canada and 10 other countries in the Indo-Pacific (Australia, Brunei, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam).

The commission’s role includes considering new applicants and setting the standards they must meet. As chair, Canada can help move the global economy back…

There’s good reason to celebrate the late Brian Mulroney’s courage in embarking on the quest for a free-trade agreement with the Americans in his first term as prime minister. While eliciting strong opposition in many quarters at the time, it was a historically bold move, and the Mulroney government’s milestone achievement in getting Washington to sign the 1987 Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement, or FTA, has to be viewed in that light.

Equally significant was FTA’s successor, the North American Free Trade Agreement, bringing in Mexico as a partner in 1994. While NAFTA came into force under prime minister Jean Chrétien, it was negotiated and concluded under Mr. Mulroney, and stands as another fine achievement of his time in office.…