World

Harper to press Obama on U.S. protectionism

by albertacowpoke | September 15, 2009 at 05:36 pm

179 views | 48 Recommendations | 6 comments

President Obama made his first official international visit to Canada in January. This has been a long standing tradition observed by U.S. Presidents.

Tomorrow, Prime Minister Stephen Harper will visit the White House for the first time since President Obama's inauguration.

Prime Minister Harper is expected to address increasing American Protectionism, ingrained in the "Buy American" clause of the Stimulus Bill. This provision has caused havoc with Canadian based NHL teams. The highlighted section below explains the problem these teams face, especially in the light of playing four games in five nights.

The meeting between Prime Minister Harper and the President is scheduled for one hour tomorrow and will, not doubt, include many bilateral issues.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper says he will press the U.S. government on the so-called "Buy American" clause when he visits Washington this week, including a provision that has wreaked havoc on Canadian NHL teams.

Canada's six NHL teams have been scrambling to find alternative travel routes since it was announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation was banning Canadian charter planes from flying between two U.S. cities.

"This is a serious problem," Harper told CTV News Channel's Power Play in an exclusive interview. "This is another protectionist measure . . . and this situation will not be allowed to continue. I've been very clear."

"If Canadian companies can not do charter service in the United States, Americans will not be doing it in Canada," he added.

0 See all footage | View Slideshow

Share: email story | add to any | | facebook | stumbleupon

recommend Add a comment

Amy Judd

at 17:39 on September 15th, 2009

I feel bad, I had no idea his visit was tomorrow!

Roy C

at 19:08 on September 15th, 2009

Charter planes problem is ridiculous, but money in a stimulus plan has to be for us. I wouldn't expect a Canadian plan to encourage Canadians to buy American.

rng

at 19:22 on September 15th, 2009

Economics can be difficult to comprehend., I give you that

In a stimulus package, a blunt but necessary tool, you cannot say in an economy driven by 78% consumption, here's some money only buy American. It limits consumption - bad in this context (though good in a broader sense).

It also produces responses from one's trading partners. If you protect, I will too. This is problematical in the supply-demand equation, and doubly so when one's partners own a large marker on your debt.

The stimulus plan cannot be restricted to US product or application, it is designed to create consumption, which equates to trade and on it goes. Do you want them to limit their stimulus to non-US produced product, Duh..no! We want them to buy more of ours too.

Our economies are too interdependent to isolate them. They know that which is why they reject protectionism. If you practice protectionism you both play to their strengths as there are multiple export markets for their goods, while rolling belly up on our weakness - consumption driven economy and debt. Not smart at all

Barry Artiste

at 20:53 on September 15th, 2009

Protectionism is bad for both of us, industry and competitiveness through new technology will make us giants of industry again, with the world clamoring for our products,

albertacowpoke

at 02:37 on September 16th, 2009

Yes I believe that protectionism is shortsighted. Rngs comments amplify your comment. Canada and the United States are each other's largest trading partners. Despite the outcry against the Alberta Tar Sands, 70% of that oil is exported to the US through a vast network of pipelines.

Since Canada is not a problem for the US, we are seldom paid attention to. I will watch with anticipation how much newsplay this visit gets on major US networks.