Deal Easing Buy American Policy Comes at a Price

(Les Whittington — Toronto Star)

The Conservative government today announced a tentative Canada-United States procurement deal intended to help Canadian companies get around the protectionist wall thrown up by recession-battered Americans.

But in exchange, Canada is giving American firms access to billions of dollars in contracts by provincial governments and, in some cases, municipalities, federal government officials said.

The long-sought compromise is an agreement in principle but Trade Minister Peter Van Loan said Ottawa fully expects the provinces to approve the deal and the U.S. government is committed to implementing its part of the agreement, which will not require approval from the U.S. Congress. Read more here.

Related:

• Joint Statement on Canada-U.S. Agreement on Government Procurement (DFAIT)

• U.S., Canada make it official on Buy American (CTV News – Video)

• Ottawa hails Buy American deal (Globe & Mail)

• Protectionism ‘breakthrough’ reached (National Post)

• ‘Too little, too late’ on trade: Ignatieff (Globe & Mail)