54 LEXPERT MAGAZINE
|
JUNE 2017
FEATURE
IN ANY DISCUSSION
about the impact of US President Donald Trump's trade
policies and the opportunities these policies may present for Canada on the international
front, there are two macro-truths that have remained unchanged even in the face of the
president's consistent unpredictability: the first is that Canada has established itself as a
champion of the free trade movement just as the United States leads the protectionist
upsurge; the second is that uncertainty regarding the precise gulf between these two posi-
tions will remain the order of the day for the foreseeable future.
"e rise of protectionism in the US has created a diplomacy vacuum that Canada
is well-positioned to fill," says Michael Woods of international trade boutique Woods,
LaFortune LLP in Ottawa. "Multinational treaties such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership
and a similar agreement with Europe are now effectively dead from the US perspective,
but the demand for international business expansion remains alive and well."
e upshot is that the Trump era presents unique opportunities for Canadian busi-
ness. "We're a G7 country that looks like the global leader in promoting trade liberal-
ization, which means we're punching above our weight," Woods says. "at could be a
momentum builder for Canada in terms of creating political capital that might advance
the cause of open markets."
Foreign businesses have long
used Canada as a beachhead
for entering the
US market.
That role has never been more
important as the
US moves
toward protectionism
BY JULIUS MELNITZER
AMONG
CALL
A SIREN
SHRILL
NOTES
PHOTO:
SHUTTERSTOCK
