Canada will have to defend its exports

The measures of increased economic nationalism in the United States promised during the election campaign by the tenors of the new Biden administration in Washington are of concern to Canadian companies that export goods and services to the United States.

Their representatives are more insistent with the Trudeau government in Ottawa that its main leaders, starting with the Prime Minister, hasten to present the concerns of the business community in Canada to the highest authorities in the White House and in Congress.

According to Véronique Proulx, President and CEO of the grouping of Manufacturiers et Exportateurs du Québec (MEQ), The Canadian government must begin discussions with the Biden administration now. The key is to strengthen diplomatic and commercial relations between Canada and the United States in order to maintain open access to markets. Our supply chains are highly integrated. The interests of our exporting companies must be heard and taken into consideration. Also, we must preserve the access of Quebec manufacturers to American public markets.

At the national grouping of Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters (MEC), President and CEO Dennis Darby also fears that future decisions by the Biden administration regarding the Buy American Act could lead to mutual exclusion [Canada– US] of our respective government procurement, which could seriously hamper our fragile economic recovery.

Moreover, Dennis Darby recalls that it took nearly a year for Canada to negotiate exemptions when the administration of former President Obama had integrated mandatory provisions for American purchases in its economic recovery plan in 2010.

Introduced in 1933, during the Great Depression, the Buy American Act deals with the rules governing the purchase of goods and services in the United States by government agencies and managers of large-scale projects that are funded by government funds US federal government.

Geneviève Dufour , professor and program director in international law and international politics at the University of Sherbrooke said, Geneviève Dufour , professor and program director in international law and international politics at the University of Sherbrooke. We know that the [administrations] Democrats in Washington are usually not very keen on free trade. It is therefore important for political and business leaders in Canada to remain alert to the economic priorities of the Biden administration, which are already very well announced in favor of job creation for Americans. It should be Prime Minister Trudeau's immediate priorities towards new President Biden to initiate discussions on Canada's specific concern.

He said, On the positive side, we can expect the Biden administration to be much more predictable and respectful [than the Trump administration] of existing international trade measures, including the North American Free Trade Agreement. In the same way that the Obama administration had remained "talkable" with Canada for its requests for exemption from certain provisions of its economic stimulus program.

Mr. Ouellet said, Canadian companies wishing to preserve their access to public sector markets in the United States would benefit from establishing consortia with American companies, in order to be able to participate in calls for tenders. as partners of US tenderers.