The threat of putting U.S. troops near the Canadian border to make sure Canadians aren't sneaking into the United States during the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.
Threatening 3M for sending masks to Canada where much of the pulp used to make the 3M N95 masks comes from British Columbia.
Yet, Canada pushed ahead with the severely flawed CUSMA | USMCA | T-MEC aka NAFTA 2.0.
Canada was the first of the three countries with the United States and Mexico to notify its NAFTA partners to set a date for the deal to commence. Mexico also sent that signal. This came after Canada ratified the deal, which was news to us. How do you have time in a pandemic to give the deal the necessary scrutiny?
Amazingly, the ball is now in the court of the United States. If the U.S. gives notice, the deal will kick in on the first day of the third month. If that happens before April 30, the new deal would start on Canada Day, July 1.
There are voices of sanity. A group of bipartisan U.S. senators concerned about the timing. "Canadian businesses have repeatedly said that given the substantial disruption caused by COVID-19, now is not the time for CUSMA to enter into force," said Mark Agnew, the director of international policy for the Canadian Chamber of Commerce. "The government needs to explore delaying entry into force or grace periods for certain provisions."
Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland reminded U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer of the Canadian doctors and nurses who travel from Windsor to work in Detroit hospitals. Theoretically, the U.S. cares about Michigan despite unfounded criticism of Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and the refusal to send needed medical supplies to Michigan.
Canadians won't be able to watch Super Bowl LIV ads
CUSMA passes through U.S. Congress
NAFTA 2.0, er, USMCA is a nightmarish trade deal for Canada
CanadianCrossing.com trade coverage
CanadianCrossing.com Canadian politics coverage
CanadianCrossing.com Donald Trump coverage
We have gone on extensively over why we think this is a horrible trade deal for Canada. We know the implementation of the trade deal will do extensive damage to Canada-U.S. relations only Americans won't know because they don't think about trade even in normal times. We invite you to read our previous coverage in the above links.
Even as the trade agreement has moved along, Canada has been abused by the United States. Canada has given huge concessions to the United States in exchange for zero concessions from the United States.
NAFTA isn't perfect but a lot more helpful to Canada than CUSMA. This could have waited until after the pandemic or at least the U.S. elections in November. Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders, or any other Democratic presidential contender will not come to Canada's help on trade, no matter how much they like Canada.
photo credit: Government of Canada
video credit: CBC News
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