Trade relations with Canada are unlikely to improve significantly no matter who wins the election, according to former U.S. Ambassador to Canada David Wilkins, who insisted that a Joe Biden administration could be even “more protectionist” than the current one, the National Post reported on Wednesday.
Wilkins, who served under George W. Bush, told the Canadian Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday that Biden’s “build back better” proposal that emphasizes made-in-America products could be broadly protectionist and would “significantly adversely impact Canadian businesses and exports.”
He added that a “Biden Democratic majority in both the House and the Senate, if he does get that, will be much more protectionist than a Trump administration.”
Wilkins agreed, however, with most other experts that trade relations with Canada would be less volatile under Biden’s leadership than they have been under President Donald Trump, who slapped levies on Canadian raw steel and aluminum, citing “national security” concerns.
Also taking part in the Canadian Chamber of Commerce discussion was David MacNaughton, Canada’s ambassador to the U.S. from 2016 to 2019. He urged all trading partners in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico to leave behind recent trade disagreements and boost ties in order to quicken a recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.
“I just hope that everybody doesn’t retreat into their corner of the sandbox and play by themselves, because this will cause both health risks and economic collapse,” he said.
Brian Freeman ✉
Brian Freeman, a Newsmax writer based in Israel, has more than three decades writing and editing about culture and politics for newspapers, online and television.
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