Harper Should Appeal to Obama, Exporters Say

(Kevin Carmichael — Globe & Mail)

Prime Minister Stephen Harper is coming under pressure to appeal directly to President Barack Obama to exclude Canada from his economic stimulus program’s Buy American provisions.

Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters, the Ottawa-based trade association that represents some 10,000 companies, wants Mr. Harper to seize a growing recognition of the issue in Washington to bring about a quick resolution before any more stimulus money is spent at the exclusion of Canadian bids.

“At the end of the day, it’s an issue that will be resolved faster and more efficiently if the request comes from the Prime Minister to the President,” said Jayson Myers, president of the CME, which accounts for 90 per cent of Canada’s exports.

Mr. Myers has been leading a lobby in the U.S. capital to match the fine print of Mr. Obama’s $787-billion (U.S.) stimulus plan with the spirit of his pledge that the spending will be done in a way that is consistent with the U.S.’s obligations under the North American Free Trade Agreement. Read more here.