Premiers Haggle Over ‘Buy USA’

(Les Whittington — Toronto Star)

Ottawa stuck waiting for provinces to approve trade-rule compromise before approaching U.S. on fairer bidding policies

Canadian companies are being shut out of prized contracts in the United States while Ottawa and the provinces dicker over a proposed trade-rules compromise that U.S. President Barack Obama could use to try to weaken Buy America policies.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Obama discussed the explosive protectionism issue on the sidelines of the G8 summit in Italy last week. It’s clear the U.S. administration is waiting for Ottawa’s proposal before moving forward with its bid to slow the Buy America juggernaut being propelled by state and local governments.

“The ball is definitely in our court,” Trade Minister Stockwell Day said in an interview. Read more here.