Just home from grocery shopping after our trip to the OGS Conference in Guelph. Usually we just shop not paying much attention to where products come from for about eight months of the year. But this time of year we are finally starting to get a goodly number of "grown in Canada" products but even at that three quarters of the items that we bought were grown/produced in the United States. We like to have their fresh produce and we pay a hefty price for it because we can not grow it here for a good part of the year. I am left to wonder why President Trump, Secretary of Trade Ross and Chief Negotiator for NAFTA Lighthizer are complaining about not getting enough access to our market! Is it that they actually hate Canada and want to destroy our economy for reasons unknown to this Canadian.
As far as dairy is concerned we import huge quantities of milk, cheese, yoghurt etc etc mostly from the northern United States. Our controlled farm management system dictates how much milk each farm can produce and whatever is over that quota is dumped and has been as long as I can remember. The rest is marketed along with a percentage of imports (which is quite substantial if you just look at the grocery stores and Wisconsin plays a huge role in shipping cheeses here (which I must admit I enjoy)).
So I am left to wonder what is it about Canada that these three individuals hate? This isn't a blip as they have been saying; this is mean.
NAFTA had the same effect here in Canada that it had in the United States with respect to manufacturing. Jobs were lost; cities and town in southwestern Ontario were burdened by as high as 40% unemployment as the factories moved to Mexico and elsewhere. But we persevered here, people went and got a new trade/profession and we soldiered on with our lives. I must admit I was always bothered somewhat by the way that our industries were becoming intertwined with the United States. I would have liked it if we could have just kept our own industries separate but gradually one came to trust that we were in a brave new world where two countries who share the longest border in the world could also share the same values and respect for each other.
Again what is it about Canada that these three American leaders hate? Do they have a grudge against Canada. Really President Trump was saying things about Canada that showed a complete lack of respect for us as a country, neighbour and largest trading partner.
First and foremost the United States has a trade surplus with us; they sell quite a bit more (in the billions) to us then we sell to them. To deny that is to insult his own Departments which publish such details. Secondly we are not a security threat to the United States. If you hate us then just say you do not want to deal with us; don't insult us.
We have had your back these past 150 years. We are there whenever you need us. We saved 50,000 Americans when you closed your airports after 9/11 and they landed here as they were past the point of no return in their airplanes and they stayed with us until you opened your borders again to let your own people come home. When you need help with fires, severe weather recovery we come; we come willingly at our own expense. That is what good neighbours do.
So again I ask what is it about Canada that these three American leaders hate?
As for a Sunset Clause why would any country agree to such a short term contract with regard to trade. I do realize that these three Americans are hoping that no one will have enough faith in Canada to invest here when the term of the trade agreement is so short. They want 100% of any investment that comes to North America one is left to think.
So again I ask what is it about Canada that these three Americans President Trump, Secretary of Trade Ross and Chief Negotiator for NAFTA Lighthizer hate?
As far as dairy is concerned we import huge quantities of milk, cheese, yoghurt etc etc mostly from the northern United States. Our controlled farm management system dictates how much milk each farm can produce and whatever is over that quota is dumped and has been as long as I can remember. The rest is marketed along with a percentage of imports (which is quite substantial if you just look at the grocery stores and Wisconsin plays a huge role in shipping cheeses here (which I must admit I enjoy)).
So I am left to wonder what is it about Canada that these three individuals hate? This isn't a blip as they have been saying; this is mean.
NAFTA had the same effect here in Canada that it had in the United States with respect to manufacturing. Jobs were lost; cities and town in southwestern Ontario were burdened by as high as 40% unemployment as the factories moved to Mexico and elsewhere. But we persevered here, people went and got a new trade/profession and we soldiered on with our lives. I must admit I was always bothered somewhat by the way that our industries were becoming intertwined with the United States. I would have liked it if we could have just kept our own industries separate but gradually one came to trust that we were in a brave new world where two countries who share the longest border in the world could also share the same values and respect for each other.
Again what is it about Canada that these three American leaders hate? Do they have a grudge against Canada. Really President Trump was saying things about Canada that showed a complete lack of respect for us as a country, neighbour and largest trading partner.
First and foremost the United States has a trade surplus with us; they sell quite a bit more (in the billions) to us then we sell to them. To deny that is to insult his own Departments which publish such details. Secondly we are not a security threat to the United States. If you hate us then just say you do not want to deal with us; don't insult us.
We have had your back these past 150 years. We are there whenever you need us. We saved 50,000 Americans when you closed your airports after 9/11 and they landed here as they were past the point of no return in their airplanes and they stayed with us until you opened your borders again to let your own people come home. When you need help with fires, severe weather recovery we come; we come willingly at our own expense. That is what good neighbours do.
So again I ask what is it about Canada that these three American leaders hate?
As for a Sunset Clause why would any country agree to such a short term contract with regard to trade. I do realize that these three Americans are hoping that no one will have enough faith in Canada to invest here when the term of the trade agreement is so short. They want 100% of any investment that comes to North America one is left to think.
So again I ask what is it about Canada that these three Americans President Trump, Secretary of Trade Ross and Chief Negotiator for NAFTA Lighthizer hate?