Obama May Have Learned from Summit: Opinion

(Miami Herald – Andres Oppenheimer)

The U.S.-Mexico-Canada summit earlier this week was almost universally described in the media as a photo-op, with no substantive results. I don’t think so: It may have been a major step in helping to convince President Barack Obama about the need of greater North American integration. […]

Among the things that Obama heard from his counterparts in Guadalajara:

• Canada and Mexico together buy eight times more U.S. goods than China. While North American trade has tripled since NAFTA went into effect 15 years ago, the growth rate of regional trade has slowed since 2001, largely because of increased border restrictions.

• U.S., Canadian and Mexican exports are losing market share in the global economy. While the three North American trade partners together accounted for 19% of world exports in 2000, they made up only 12.7% in 2008. The U.S. share alone dropped from 12% to 8% over the same period.

• Asian and European countries have signed new free trade agreements and strengthened existing ones in recent years. In North America, meantime, no new roads or border crossings have been built over the past seven years, which is increasing transportation costs along the border and making North America less competitive globally.

• To become more competitive and get out of the economic crisis sooner, NAFTA members should build new border crossings, ease obstacles to trade and harmonize production and labeling rules. If U.S., Mexican and Canadian companies could produce goods with labels that are valid in all three NAFTA member countries, they reach 450 million people living in North America instead of being confined to their home markets.

Read more here.

Here’s a Thought – How About Erasing the Canada-U.S. Border?

(Barbara Yaffee — Vancouver Sun)

A book by Toronto journalist John Ibbitson suggests we’re overdue for a North American environmental, economic and security accord

A new book is challenging Canadians to consider the benefits of a radical scenario: Erasing the Canada-U.S. border.

That’s right. The two nations would retain their distinct sovereignty but there would be no more passports or work visas.

The continent would see a free flow of goods, services and people; common rules for immigration and refugees; joint inspection of shipping containers from abroad; an integrated terrorist watch list; a system of security enforcement around the perimeter of the continent.

“The worst that will happen is that we may have to adopt American spelling,” posits author John Ibbitson, a Toronto journalist writing on U.S. politics from Washington, D.C. Read more here.

Emerson Goes Against the Tide in Push for Border Reforms

(Barbara Yaffe — Vancouver Sun)

Influential former federal minister and leading business executive David Emerson is calling on Canada to lead a new charge on continental integration.

He calls his idea Project North America.

Says Emerson: “I think the process of integration has to begin with the two leaders, perhaps three,” outlining a joint vision for closer collaboration.

“Probably from there to a high level emissaries model to put meat on the bones.”

Canada’s former international trade and foreign affairs minister in the Harper government, is among a rising tide of voices in recent months expressing concern about a thickening border and growing protectionism in the U.S., despite the smiling face of Barack Obama.

But even as Emerson is urging greater coordination between Canada and the U.S., and secondarily Mexico, the trend line is going in the opposite direction. Read more here.