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Flags are pictured during the fifth round of NAFTA talks involving the United States, Mexico and Canada, in Mexico City, Mexico, November 19, 2017.
Free Market Reflections, Markets

Is fortune smiling on NAFTA?

Free Market Reflections with Steve Dittmer

By
If fortune is smiling on Canada this spring, you will be reading this column for clues as to how an agreement in principle was finally forged on renegotiating NAFTA. For months now we’ve been tracking the convergence of numerous factors that were pointing towards a do or die situation either this spring or in 2019. […] Read more
Early March saw the White House pronounce steel tariffs that would move many countries to request exemptions.
Free Market Reflections, Markets

An eventful week for trade

Free Market Reflections with Steve Dittmer

By
Canadians could be forgiven if they felt they dodged a bullet the first full week in March. Early in that week, President Trump announced blanket foreign steel tariffs of 25 per cent and 10 per cent on aluminum. Canada not only supplies half of the steel imported into the U.S. but half of American exports […] Read more
Closeup of the flags of the North American Free Trade Agreement NAFTA members on textile texture. NAFTA is the world's largest trade bloc and the member countries are Canada, United States and Mexico. 3D rendering with detailed textured grunge effect on closeup.
Free Market Reflections, Markets

Better signs for NAFTA

Free Market Reflections with Steve Dittmer

By
In early January some hope for a new and improved NAFTA agreement was buried in the political and media bombast in Washington, D.C. At first glance, the release of the book, Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House, had little to do with trade and NAFTA. We were fooled, however, because we knew only […] Read more
Closeup of the flags of the North American Free Trade Agreement NAFTA members on textile texture. NAFTA is the world's largest trade bloc and the member countries are Canada, United States and Mexico. 3D rendering with detailed textured grunge effect on closeup.
Comment/Columns, Free Market Reflections

NAFTA notes and a warning

Free Market Reflections with Steve Dittmer

By
[UPDATED: Jan. 23, 2018 with ‘COMMENT’ at bottom] January 2018. The global economy is improving. The U.S. economy, drawing on Trump optimism, anticipated tax reform and more competitive American businesses seeing some profits, which should benefit Canadian businesses. U.S. beef demand is holding up decently in the face of increased supply. The 800-pound gorilla in […] Read more
Flags are pictured during the fifth round of NAFTA talks involving the United States, Mexico and Canada, in Mexico City, Mexico, November 19, 2017.
Comment/Columns, Free Market Reflections

NAFTA anxiety continues to build

Free Market Reflections with Steve Dittmer

By
The intent of everyone going into the renegotiations of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was to get it over quickly, at least quickly by international trade negotiation standards. Canada didn’t think there was a lot to fix, Mexico had presidential elections set for next July and the U.S. general opinion, except for President […] Read more
Canada's Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland (c) addresses the media with Mexico's Economy Minister Ildefonso Guajardo (l) and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer (r) at the close of the third round of NAFTA talks involving the United States, Mexico and Canada in Ottawa, Ont., on September 27, 2017.
Comment/Columns, Free Market Reflections

NAFTA talks take a sinister turn

Free Market Reflections with Steve Dittmer

By
The NAFTA negotiators have completed Rounds 3 and 4 and the progress has been glacial. What we don’t know is whether that is just as well, seeing we can’t be sure what will satisfy President Trump. Round 3, held in Canada, was devoted to getting on paper the items the three countries could agree on. […] Read more
Comment/Columns, Free Market Reflections

Rooting the dietary guidelines in sound science

Free Market Reflections with Steve Dittmer

By
“There’s a lot of stuff in the Guidelines that was right 40 years ago but that science has disproved. Unfortunately, sometimes, the scientific community doesn’t like to backtrack.” That was David McCarron, nutrition researcher at the University of California-Davis nearly two years ago, commenting on the U.S. Congress ordering a comprehensive review of the way […] Read more
U.S. NAFTA objectives begin to focus the trade picture
Free Market Reflections

U.S. NAFTA objectives begin to focus the trade picture

Free Market Reflections with Steve Dittmer

By
Ever since President Donald Trump’s election, cattlemen on both sides of the border have worried about the NAFTA agreement that has governed trade among the U.S., Canada and Mexico since 1994. Trump has called NAFTA the worst agreement the U.S. ever signed. In early conversations, Trump told Prime Minister Trudeau that very little of the […] Read more
closeup of a cattle in a field
Free Market Reflections, Livestock, Markets

Events begin shaping trade with the U.S.

Free Market Reflections with Steve Dittmer

By
As Canadians who closely follow American politics know, the Democrats have not suffered their loss gracefully. But it’s not party hacks but citizens who suffer from obstructionist tactics. Of the 4,000 or so appointments needing Senate confirmation, only two or three dozen had been confirmed by mid-April. One of those delays could definitely affect trade […] Read more

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