I sometimes get approached by organizations with ideas for the podcast. I usually politely pretend I am unable to hear, or perhaps in witness protection. But sometimes it’s a good idea. So when Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters asked me months ago whether I’d like to moderate a panel on North American trade — immediately after the US presidential election — I said, you bet I would.
It was a lovely arrangement, including this part: I got to decide after the event was over whether I’d pass it on to you as a podcast episode. In the end it wasn’t a hard call. The panel’s discussion, especially about the prospect of a tariff imposed by Donald Trump on Canadian and Mexican imports, could hardly be more timely. Only days after we spoke, US President-(re-)elect Donald Trump promised inauguration-day jumbo tariffs against exports from Canada and Mexico.
The venue for our panel discussion was the North American Manufacturing Conference, with organizations representing Mexican and American firms joining CME at the Château Laurier in Ottawa. The Canadian panelist was somebody you know: CTV News Chief Political Correspondent Vassy Kapelos. Vassy’s political instincts and plain talk were a great asset on this panel. She was eager to talk about tariffs before I even asked. And she said what we’ve seen this week: that tariffs imposed by an incoming president without negotiations or a Congressional vote could be much more damaging to Canadian commercial interests than any haggling over language in the CUSMA trade treaty.
The U.S. panelist was Doug Palmer, senior trade reporter for Politico. The Mexican was Enrique de la Madrid, an author, former cabinet minister, and newspaper columnist. Each provided insight into the thinking in their capitals about this crucial moment in North American trade relations.
Enrique gave perspective we don’t always get to hear in these debates. He had heard about Doug Ford proposing that CUSMA be replaced with bilateral deals, in effect kicking Mexico out of the rump NAFTA. He had prepared an argument for keeping the trade alliance intact.
I’m happy to share with you this timely, thoughtful panel on a topic that’s dominating headlines this week. Thanks to Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters for the invitation.
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I am grateful to be the Max Bell Foundation Senior Fellow at McGill University, the principal patron of this podcast. Antica Productions turns these interviews into a podcast every week. Kevin Breit wrote and performed the theme music. Andy Milne plays it on piano at the end of each episode. Thanks to all of them and to you. Please tell your friends to subscribe to The Paul Wells Show on their favourite podcast app, or here on the newsletter.
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