Op-Eds
China has sustained spectacular economic growth for nearly four decades and it has made a great leap forward in the living standards and personal ambitions of much of its population. However, a growing number of signs indicate the prolonged period of rapid growth is coming to an end, with consequences for Canada and the world.
China’s growth miracle began in the late seventies with reforms led by Deng Xiaoping that recognized the advantages of private initiative and market forces – combined with massive continuing investment by the state and a gradual opening to the world economy. Growth rates began to take off in the eighties and soared into double digits at times. Chinese per capita income grew rapidly and is now approaching US…
Donald Trump’s insulting statements about Canada in New York this week mark a new low in the Canada-U.S. relationship, with ramifications far beyond the North American free-trade agreement.
Never before has a U.S. president threatened to inflict direct harm on Canada. While there have been some rough spots over the course of our shared history, Mr. Trump’s apparent disdain for Canada and threats of economic warfare, seeming to relish in the prospect like some kind of neighbourhood bully, has taken the bilateral relationship into a state of political disrepair.
Even though the final episode hasn’t been written, it’s possible to predict that the NAFTA era may be coming to an ignominious end; 25 years of stability and mutual…
Another confusing day in Washington, with U.S. President Donald Trump talking by phone to the Mexican President and then suggesting the two countries could conclude a bilateral agreement, now that some kind of understanding with Mexico on auto rules of origin has been reached.
Telling the Mexican President that the United States might want to pursue a separate trade deal with them seems to have taken the Mexicans aback, Mexico never contemplating having to go up alone against the United States. It’s clear by now that Mr. Trump and his team don’t like dealing with Canada.
That’s reflected in Canada being sidelined for weeks while the other two governments held high-level meetings behind closed doors – a disgracefully bad-…
The Trump administration’s announcement of punitive tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum means we’re into a full-blown economic and political war with the Americans.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s tough statement Thursday afternoon that these tariffs are unacceptable and an affront to all Canadians is unprecedented for its direct and unrestrained criticism of an American president and his administration by any Canadian leader. In answering the press, Mr. Trudeau said that President Donald Trump’s actions represent a “turning point” in Canada-U.S. relations.
The descent into full-scale economic warfare with the Americans had been evident for some time, notwithstanding overly optimistic comments by some observers…
Now that some time has passed since the surprising Supreme Court of Canada decision in the Comeau case, it’s worth reflecting on some of the concepts enunciated in that judgment in upholding New Brunswick’s ban on cross-border beer imports.
The central issue in that case, of course, was whether Section 121 of the Constitution was breached by the New Brunswick law under which Mr. Comeau was charged. Section 121 says: “All Articles of the Growth, Produce, or Manufacture of any one of the Provinces shall . . . be admitted free into each of the other Provinces.”
Note that the words are “shall . . be admitted free.” Section 121 doesn’t say “duty free” but “free” — full stop. That word would in a normal sense seem to mean…
