Will Canada Fight Back And Launch Trade War With The United

Written By: Roy_Whyte
Date: 2004-11-25 09:37:00
<a href="/article/213752137-will-canada-fight-back-and-launch-trade-war-with-the-united-states">Article Link</a>

On August 31, 2004, the WTO ruled that Canada, Brazil, Chile, the European Union, India, Japan, Mexico and South Korea could retaliate by up to 72 percent of the annual anti-dumping and countervailing duties on exports from these countries disbursed to U.S. companies in a given year. To show that we are serious and ready to play hardball, Canada submitted to the WTO the final retaliation authorization request. Better yet, the federal government wants to hear from you! <a href="http://www.byrd-consultations.gc.ca">Have your say here</a>

Correct me if I am wrong, is the idea here to put a tax on imported goods so that we have to pay more for them? Why don't we put a tax on exported goods like oil and electricity and natural gas?

Not quite. Manufacturers have to pay extra duty to import their goods to Canada. They can of course raise their prices to compensate.

What the US is doing to softwood, under the Byrd Amendment, is similar. Softwood exporters have to pay extra duties up front to get the lumber into the US. Under the Byrd Amendment, the US then takes those duties and gives them to US softwood mills.

The WTO has deemed this practice as 'protectionist' and also classifies it as an unfair subisdy, because the monies are given back to industry. It has almost given permission to all WTO countries to impose 72% duties on US products entering the countries. So, because the US is imposing about $1billion in Softwood duties, Canada is allowed to impose 720 million in duties on other products to compensate.

If the US repeals the Byrd Amendment, or puts the monies in state or federal coffers, this would be a moot point.

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"If you must kill a man, it costs you nothing to be polite about it." Winston Churchill

A little background:

http://olympics.reuters.com/newsArticle ... ID=6899137

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ ... s/Canadian

http://www.canada.com/national/national ... 86d40eea7c

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"If you must kill a man, it costs you nothing to be polite about it." Winston Churchill

If Canada does indeed proceed, expect a trade war. I wouldn't expect anything less from the Republicans. It could get ugly as both countries will suffer. Though the Canadian economy is in better shape than that of our southern neighbours, so we do have the advantage going in. If things carry on too far, expect calls from many Canadians to just turn off the oil and natural gas. No other Canadian export is more valued by the US nor has the potential for instant impact.

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If there was ever a time for Canadians to become pushy - now is the time - for time is running out on this nation called Canada.

The last time I participated in a "let the gov know what you think" was when Graham asked what our ideas were with regards to our foreign affairs and the military. The largest voice was saying pull away from the USA and that obviously told the Liberals it would be better to take the NORTHCOM negotiations into a dark closet and sign us up in secret rather than let us participate in an open debate because we told them we didn't want integration.

Aren't all gas and oil companies USAmerican? Aren't all of our energy facilities connected to the US grid? Does anyone really think this is going to make any difference? I just laugh at this posturing. I saw Perrin Beatty on Politics today and he said something to the effect that this kind of action would show the US what it was like to be in unfair trade deals. And it would basically change the way they do business with us. AHAHAHA!

The US is going to have to open their borders to way more foreign ownership as Canada had to when we were 3rd world indebtedness. Isn't that how the world really works? We loan your government more money than they will ever be able to pay back,so, your government gives away all your resources in repayment. That's what I call "free trade".

At the risk of sounding like a one trick pony I have to go back to some very basic principle of communication. On a different thread here.
I found the following insight, “The truth is 'we' and 'Americans' are too loaded words.”
There are other words that also loaded words and in my opinion the use of this loaded language hampers critical thought and investigation as to what is behind the curtains of loaded words.

The curtain or screen has on it exactly what the corporation wish for us to be occupied with and not much more.

When I see the words in the title piece to which I now respond my head reels!

Is NOT of one mind and certainly has no body by which to “fight”. The country’s politicians are in the pocket of international giants like Andersen Accounting or ACCENTURE or some other interconnected conglomerate that have no interest in fair trade.
It is all smoke and mirrors for untrained minds to wrangle on and on about to the point where
Working Canadians turn away from it in disgust.

And the amazing part of it all is there are so-called professional that have degrees in any number of disciplines prattling on as though it were all real.

Will it change?
Not likely!
Not until the “average Joe” starts to take an interest and exposes it all for what it is; a fabulous dog and pony show with devastation results.

Even in the game of deceit there is to be found something called the truth.

You seem to forget politicians in Canada still need people to elect them. They will cater to whoever can satisfy their need to be re-elected. If enough ordinary joes and janes let it be known that they want something, their call will be heeded.

So why 'fight'? Fight, a word of action, and no better word considering where we find ourselves. We are not dealing with an ordinary neighbour. We live next door to an aggressive bunch at the moment. Fighting is like dancing - it’s always best when you know your partner. Action is what they understand, so it seems action is what they will get.

Corporations do have a measure of power and strength in Canada, but even that is easily defeated when people both speak up and hit them where it hurts – in their bottom line. Corporations wield enormous power in the halls of US decision-making, and if they begin to suffer instead of profit, they will speak, and they will also be heard.

Yep, one big game.

Roy

Still, if we wanted to, we could not only charge a hefty export tarrif, and allocate it toward those things in dire need, like health care, but we could just turn the taps off! They`re OUR resources, and they belong to ALL of the Canadian people!

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Dave Ruston

How about something simple ??

Find out where all the ceo's live and have a party on their front lawn. Do a few other things to get their attention.

They need to have us IN THEIR FACE, or they will keep on smothering us forever.

BTW, that includes banks, the worst of the bunch !!

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"Arrogance is unacceptable. Do it to my face, and I will react" - Jim Callaghan

and don't be leavin out the guys under the radar the insurance companies!
or these dudes

The Bar, the Pulpit and the Press Nefariously combine To Cry up an usurpt Pow'r And stamp it Right Devine. -1695

<blockquote> is the idea here to put a tax on imported goods so that we have to pay more for them? </blockquote> Actually, I believe the idea is to tariff imports on goods we produce as well to make the Canadian-produced products more affordable/competitive. Like the US does with lumber, etc. It's kind of a "he hit me first" argument you had with your little brother when you were 10, but in this case "Mom" (ie the WTO) says - "okay - then you get to hit them back".

I don't know. CEOs have little power to be independat thinkers--it's the billionaire elites that are the problem.

Point taken Dave, but right now our oil actually belongs to Shell and Exxon.

Point taken, Perturbed, but resources taken from Canada, regardless by whom, are still CANADA`S resources. Exxon, Mobil, or even Encana merely have a 'licence' to extract. But these corporations interpret this as full ownership. Wrong!

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Dave Ruston