Canada: A Fair Trader and Reliable Ally

by Bruce Cochrane (feat. Colin Robertson)

Farms.com
March 1, 2017

The Vice President of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute suggests the key messages Canada needs to deliver to the United States is that Canada is a fair trader and that Canada is a reliable ally.

Canada U.S. Trade under the Donald Trump administration was discussed yesterday as part of the "What's in it for U.S. Eh" seminar hosted by the World Trade Centre Winnipeg.

Colin Robertson, the Vice President and a Fellow with the Canadian Global Affairs Institute, says the U.S. President's stand on trade, including his pledge to renegotiate NAFTA, has important implications for Canada.

Colin Robertson-Canadian Global Affairs Institute:

I think it's very important that we deliver two messages.

The first message is that we are a fair trading partner.

I underline the word fair because that is the language that Mr. Trump is using.

He's arguing that he will do fair trading deals with the world but it has to be fair and I think we are a fair trading partner.

Our trade is almost in balance.

We have a slight surplus, largely on the back of the oil exports we provide which fuels of course the American manufacturing renaissance Mr. Trump wants to create so, you take out energy, then the Americans have a surplus so I think on that issue it is important that we underline that.

The second important message that we deliver to the United States is that we are a reliable ally.

That is something Mr. Trump has also, as have most American presidents, talked about the allies not doing enough in terms of paying their way in the alliance and we need to do more.

I think the defense programs review , which is on right now, you will see an increase in Canadian defense spending, not to appease the United States but for our own interest.

The world is a more dangerous place.

There is a need for Canada for our own reasons to pay more attention to North American security and our contribution to the collective security, which is arguably a Canadian creation as well, the NATO idea that countries work together in alliance.

That is something I think you're going to see a shift in the government.

Robertson suggests we had reaped all the benefits of NAFTA within a decade and, while its renegotiation represents a challenge, it also offers an opportunity for Canada.