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You know the funny thing is that just the other day I heard that the Japanese Gov't was going to be opening the border to Canadian beef again.

Kinda shows how SCIENCE should prevail in this dispute and not the pocket books of a SMALL minority of American ranchers that have a Judge on thier payroll.

   

Since the declaration of the joint Canada - U.S. agreement on BSE monitoring, the effort from American monitoring agencies has been nothing if not pitiful. Then to compound the error, the level of monitoring in the U.S. has decreased since a cow in Washington state was found to be infected with BSE. Personally, I'm wondering why Health Canada has not closed our borders to American cattle and beef products, as American products imported to Canada pose a serious and unnecessary risk to Canadian consumers.

As regards that infected cow in Washington state: it is true the animal was born in Canada. However, the cow left Canada before it was one year old, and died from BSE when it was over 5 years old. Since BSE has an incubation period of from 2 - 4 years, it is undeniable that it contracted the disease AFTER it left Canada.

Further, because the feed used for cattle moves freely between Canada and the U.S., it is possible that the infected cow in Washington and the three found infected in Alberta may have all, at one time or another, been fed with feed that originated in the U.S. Since the majority of cattle feed originates in the U.S. and because the monitoring of American feed producers is seriously deficient, it becomes extremely LIKELY that all the cases of BSE detected in Canada and the U.S. are due to American feed.

This is why Japan (amongst many nations) continues to ban American beef, and why bans against Canadian beef continue to be lifted.

   

Yup. Pretty much.

Can't seem to be able to explain that to too many locals here who have been reading headlines like Mad Cow from Canada found in Washington.

   

As regards our various trade disputes, I don't think a boycott of American goods would be effective. First of all, Canadians don't consume enough American goods to FORCE a change in Washington. Secondly, why should Canadian consumers be punished, with reduced choice, for illegal American trade actions?

The World Trade Organization is setup to resolve trade disputes, however it is a long process and carries no threat of enforcement. Our ongoing dispute over softwood lumber is an example. The WTO has ruled three times that the tariffs imposed to Canadian lumber entering the U.S. are illegal and are in violation of numerous trade agreements (including the North American Free Trade Agreement). Further, it has ruled that those illegally-imposed tariffs MUST be returned to compensate the producers of Canadian softwood lumber. Finally, as the U.S. has refused to comply with the WTO's previous instructions, the WTO has authorized Canada to impose countervailing tariffs on U.S. goods entering Canada. However, these countervails too would have the effect of punishing Canadian consumers.

As a previous poster noted, Canada is the U.S.'s largest supplier of petroleum and petroleum products (12% of the Americans supply comes from Canada, #2 is Saudi Arabia which supplies 6% of American demand). However, before anyone suggests we should decrease our supply to the U.S. or impose export duties, there are two things to consider. The U.S. has a huge strategic oil reserve (created after the 1973 OPEC embargo), and any oil we did not sell to the U.S. would have to be consumed in Canada (which decreases the oil we import from overseas) and frees the oil we would have imported to makeup the shortfall experienced by the Americans. In short, such an action would carry the twin negatives of having little or no effect on the decision-makers in Washington and, reduce or eliminate the second-most important market for Canadian petroleum products.

So does that mean we should put-up and shut-up with American trade bullyism?

NO! In fact we still hold two trump cards that could be used to change minds in Washington, D.C., tout suit!

Natural gas and electricity are two commodities that are critical to the well-being of America's industries and the comfort of it's citizens. Canada is America's primary supplier for both. 40% of the electricity that America consumes and 60% of the natural gas it uses come from Canada. And unlike petroleum, these are not commodities that can be replaced if the supply from Canada is reduced. And yet, I am not suggesting we reduce our exports of gas and watts to the U.S., becuse doing so would hurt Canadian producers as well as American consumers.

Rather, I would suggest we impose significant export duties on gas and juice sent to the U.S. This would have two immediate benefits (seems the rule of two's is affecting my thinking today). To begin with, these export taxes could be used to compensate Canadians and Canadian industries affected by illegal American trade actions (cattle and lumber are only the tip of the iceberg on this issue). Further, it is American citizens and American companies that will have the most effect in swaying the opinions of American lawmakers. Hit the ordinary guy and company he works for in the wallet, and I guarantee they will make their voices be heard in a way that forces the politicians to sit-up and take notice.

   

Hey! An Albertan who wants to get tough with America! Jusk kiddin'

Welcome to CanadaKA and you are preaching to the choir! Sadly, we are going to need a politician with balls that clank to pull any of that stuff and neither Martin nor Harper has those credentials.

Canada does need to take a tougher stance, here's some other threads you might find interesting...

This is a good one, check out some of the links.

This kinda turned into a bunch of flaming quick but anyway...

   

I always consider myself a Canadian first and foremost. Even though I am an immigrant (from Germany), I do not hyphenate my identity. Same idea with being an Albertan (I have lived in Alberta for nearly 33 years - including 15 while I was in the CF): Canada and it's interests always weigh heavier in my considerations.

   

Hmmmm another Albertan that thinks we should shut off the tap on the Natural gas and electricity.

I don't think there is a poitician in Canada who has the backbone to even harbour that thought. What we need is an organization like R CALF in the natural resources industry to have an injunction against selling resources to the US because they just waist them and all the pollution comes north of the border causing us, unnecessary purchasing of credits for Keyoto (hahahaha).

   

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