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Fear of age old protectionist sentiment returns in post NAFTA era
Washington, DC — With a new continental trade deal all but done, it might be tempting to think that cross-border business anxiety will soon be a thing of the past, at least for a while. But as the NAFTA era…
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Mexico’s USMCA point man says final details being ironed out to approve pact
Ottawa, ON — Mexico’s point man on the new North American free-trade agreement shed some light on the remaining impediments to finalizing the deal by end of year — suggesting everyone could be shaking hands by next week if there’s…
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GM job cuts, closures not a symptom of Trump’s trade agenda, analysts say
Washington, DC — Donald Trump’s tariff battles with Canada, Mexico, China and Europe have inflated the cost of steel, making it more expensive to build cars in North America, but General Motors’ decision to close factories and lay off thousands…
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Trudeau’s pre election shuffle focuses on border, trade and provincial relations
Ottawa, ON — Justin Trudeau has unveiled his pre-election cabinet in a shuffle designed to showcase new faces and to address increasingly troublesome files — from border security, to trade promotion, to the potential for bare-knuckle confrontations with the provinces.…
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Freeland calls tariffs ‘absurd’ after meeting U.S. Senate committee
Ottawa, ON — Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland ventured Wednesday onto Donald Trump’s home turf, denouncing his “absurd” tariffs and forcefully arguing for preservation of the world’s rules-based order — with or without the United States. Freeland reiterated Canada’s strong…
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Industry players wary of tariff war, in spite of potential benefits
Canada’s tariffs on imported U.S. goods — everything from strawberry jam to sleeping bags — could steer consumers to seek out cheaper, made-in-Canada alternatives, but domestic industry players are fearful that input costs will rise and American politicians could retaliate…
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Trump tariffs may imperil a delicate global economic rebound
Washington, DC — Things had been going along so nicely. Over the past year, the major regions of the world finally shed the scars of a global financial crisis and grew in unison for the first time in a decade.…
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Bank of Canada holds interest rate, underlines ‘growing’ trade uncertainty
Ottawa, ON — The Bank of Canada kept its key interest rate target on hold Wednesday as it pointed to a climate of broadening, important unknowns around trade. In explaining its decision to maintain its benchmark at 1.25 per cent,…
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Metal producers stay firm in positions on U.S. tariffs and NAFTA negotiations
Calgary, AB — Canada’s aluminum and steel producers urged the federal government to stand firm on trade issues with the United States Tuesday, even after President Donald Trump dangled the possibility of lifting tariffs on those metals in exchange for…
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Canada well positioned to handle turmoil over NAFTA talks: finance minister
Vancouver, BC — A strong economy is allowing Canadian officials to push for a better deal in negotiations on the North American Free Trade Agreement, Finance Minister Bill Morneau said Tuesday. Talks on the deal are “critically important” but Canada…
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Trump’s boasts aside, trade wars typically leave no victors
Washington, DC — Trade wars generate no medals, monuments or military parades. But they do tend to leave a lot of economic wreckage, often hurt the very people they’re meant to help and can fracture diplomatic relations among allies. After…
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Q&A: How Trump’s tariffs could affect people and companies
Washington, DC — President Donald Trump’s vow Thursday to slap tariffs on imported steel and aluminum spooked investors, raised fears that other nations would punch back with their own sanctions and threatened to raise prices for U.S. consumers and companies…