Inside Ottawa's Efforts To Fight 'Buy American'

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Inside Ottawa's Efforts To Fight 'Buy American'
jobs bill, it has become abundantly clear that,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], for policymakers south of the border, Canada is not top of mind. "We Canadians have to constantly be making the case to our American market, reminding them . that we're also their biggest market."
It's an effort that Robertson who helped negotiate and implement the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) says is comprehensive, despite the fact that it may not always seem that way.
"Are we talking to all the various parties? We are, but stuff happens, and will continue to happen,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych]," he says. "It's like WhacAMole. You've got to constantly be on guard, because [these kinds of protectionist provisions] are popping up in all kinds of places."
Officials at the Canadian Embassy in Washington did not respond to questions from HuffPost pertaining to specific lobbying efforts, or how Ottawa first learned that Buy American was part of Obama's jobs bill.
But according to Robertson, who was the embassy's first Head of the Advocacy Secretary in the mid2000s, Ottawa launched an active congressional relations program in Washington after the defeat of the East Coast Fisheries Agreement in 1979 a decision he says "changed how we did business."
The sheer volume of the legislation that is introduced in Congress is a perennial challenge for those seeking to detect and fight problematic clauses and provisions. So,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], in the mid1990s, Robertson says the embassy subscribed to a professional tracking system that scans bills for key terms like "Canada" and "Buy American."
"That's how often we'll discover this stuff," he says.
To make the case to specific policymakers, Robertson says that when he was at the embassy, they began tracking Canadian contributions by congressional district.
"Then we could go in and say, 'OK, here are the Canadians that are investing in your district and creating jobs, and here is the trade that you produce in your district thanks to Canada," he says.
At the same time, he says industry groups and premiers have also been "very effective" in making the case to mayors and business leaders south of the border. stimulus bill. American Jobs Act was recently defeated in the Senate, but Obama is now attempting to pass it through Congress bit by bit. Ambassador to Canada David Jacobson justified the provisions in an address in Ottawa on Tuesday, saying they were actually good for Canada's economy, Trade Minister Ed Fast was quick to issue his discontent.
"In these challenging times, there is simply no better American jobcreator than trade with Canada. And vice versa. And the best way to do that is through free and open trade," he said in a press release.
For his part, Robertson, who is involved in current lobbying efforts through his work as a senior strategic advisor for the law firm McKenna, Long and Aldridge, says the chances that Canada will feel the brunt of these provisions are slim.
"It is doubtful the clause will survive as drafted by the president in his proposed jobs package that may or may not see light of day," he says. NAFTA and procurement obligations."
But the spectre of continued protectionism south of the border is prompting some to advocate for a more longterm solution.
"We should be lobbying to develop a reciprocal procurement agreement so Canada is not included in any future [Buy American] legislation," says Jayson Myers, president and CEO of Canadian Manufacturers Exporters. "That agreement should be based on a more North American definition."
If I am getting this right, I don't think Canada has anything to worry about, I believe in "Buy America" but at the same time, I believe that Canada and Mexico Are part of that Statement, When I buy America, I buy North American, That means Canada and Mexico too,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], If our neighbors are happy I'm happy, and our country is happy. Don't put to much politics into this, If you haven't noticed our Government is a pack of bumbling fools, And For Canada, Don't fall into there trap of stupidity,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], You should know the American people stand by you as much as we do our own country men. there is no story here and there should be zero tension between our two great nations.
In order to get a free trade agreement with the US, we had to give up our water and oil/gas rights. Whenever it serves their interest, the US acts unilaterally, and when they are finally shamed (because there is no force involved) into behaving according to the legal agreement we have, there is no serious punishment. Whether it is softwood lumber or the right to control the St Lawrence Seaway,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], the US acts in its interest, ignores agreements it has made, and does not care what we think. I was against the initial free trade agreement, and my reasons have proven to be true. It is an agreement that provides little benefit to us, and hampers our ability to act in our selfinterest. Now the government is negotiating an even worse deal with Europe. I don't know when Canadians became so stupid, but my unwavering faith is now wavering. We need to wake up and realize that we can defend our selfinterest. We don't have to be afraid of the USA. They are going through some serious changes of their own. We should use the clause which allows us to terminate our involvement in NAFTA.
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