GHY Tradelines

span style=”font-size:85%;”(CBSA)br //spanbr /1. The following provisions of Annex C to the version of the Free Trade Agreement between Canada and the States of the European Free Trade Association (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland), signed on January 26, 2008, have the force of law in Canada: a. Articles 1 to 8; b. Article 9, paragraph 1; c. Articles 10 to 12; d. Article 14; and e. Appendix I.br /br /2. These Regulations come into force on July 1, 2009, but if they are registered after that day, they come into force on the day they are registered.br /br /Complete memorandum a href=”http://www.cbsa.gc.ca/publications/dm-md/d11/d11-5-7-eng.pdf” target=”_blank”here/a.

span style=”font-size:85%;”(Troy Media – Robert Gallagher)/spanbr /br /In an age where coupling the words “economic” and “crisis” comes as naturally as the union of rhythm and blues or bacon and eggs, ticking off the projected benefits of the Canada–European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) evokes the stuff of dreams.br /br /The aim is for completely open, bilateral competition for public and government contracts, harmonization of regulations to make trade transparent, and free movement of qualified, professional employees. The hoped-for result is that within three years there will be a 20% increase in bilateral trade and a $12-billion boost in Canadian Gross Domestic Product.br /br /Too good to pass up? Or too good to be true? Mooted for some years now, the first round of talks aimed at hammering out the agreement took place in Ottawa last year. Public releases were couched in vague platitudes with not a bracing of hard facts. Read more a href=”http://www.troymedia.com/?p=7151″here/a.

span style=”font-size:85%;”(Dept. of International Trade)/spanbr /br /In order to ensure that Canadian priorities are taken into account during the negotiations, the Government of Canada is a href=”http://www.international.gc.ca/consultations/active/index.aspx?lang=eng#partner” target=”_blank”consulting Canadian stakeholders/a with an interest in the EU market.br /br /Closing date is June 30, 2009

span style=”font-size:85%;”(The Economist)/spanbr /br /bTrade talks between Canada and the EU send a worrying signal about Doha/bbr /br /When NATO was under negotiation in 1949 Canada wanted to create not just a military alliance, but a transatlantic economic and political union too. The heft of the larger European countries, it reasoned, would restrain the growing clout of the United States. Rebuffed, Canada was drawn firmly into America’s orbit. Sixty years on it has come back with a scaled-down plan, starting talks on May 6th with the EU aimed at a bilateral trade agreement.br /br /You can see why Canada would want to lessen its dependence on America, which bought 75.5% of its exported goods last year and provided 63.4% of its imported ones. Yanked into recession by America, Canada worries that trade will suffer from protectionism (in the form of new Buy American provisions and country-of-origin labelling requirements on farm products) and Washington’s moves to toughen up border security.br /br /It is less clear what motivates the EU, which traded a mere €70 billion ($103 billion) with Canada last year. The EU did more than five times as much trade with China in 2007 and more than ten times as much with America. The estimated increase in bilateral trade of €25 billion annually once the deal has been in place seven years appears modest.br /br /According to Catherine Ashton, the EU trade commissioner, by talking about trade liberalisation amid rising global protectionism, the two parties are sending a “powerful signal”. Yet they are also sending a worrying message about confidence in the Doha round of global trade talks. In 2006 Canada and the EU had put talks on a trade and investment treaty on hold pending the outcome of Doha. Read more a href=”http://www.economist.com/finance/displaystory.cfm?story_id=13611913″here/a.

span style=”font-size:85%;”(Globe amp; Mail)/spanbr /br /bQuebec takes seat at table saying provinces want to influence deal, but Nfld. opposes EU discussions due to seal-product ban/bbr /br /Canada embarked on free-trade negotiations with the European Union yesterday with a visit by Prime Minister Stephen Harper to Prague, while Quebec showed its determination to play its own major role in the talks, naming former Parti Québécois premier Pierre-Marc Johnson as the province’s “chief negotiator.”br /br /Quebec Premier Jean Charest has established close ties with the former PQ leader, who has been one of the Liberal government’s most respected voices on everything from trade issues involving the United States and China to heading a public inquiry into the 2006 collapse of an overpass in Laval that killed five people.br /br /Mr. Johnson, who in the 1980s placed sovereignty on the backburner to promote Quebec’s “national affirmation” within Canada, has now been asked to advance Mr. Charest’s vision of Canadian federalism, in which provinces act as partners with Ottawa in major decisions, rather than spectators.br /br /“The European Union was reticent to engage in such talks unless the provinces were committed to the process,” Mr. Johnson said yesterday. Read more a href=”http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20090507.HARPERTRADE07ART2259/TPStory/National”here/a.

span style=”font-size:85%;”(Embassy – Michelle Collins)/spanbr /br /bEuropean officials say Canada promised everything was on the table, but a senior official says that’s not the case/bbr /br /While negotiations for a Canada-European Union economic partnership will finally get the go-ahead today in Prague, officials from both sides appear to be strides apart about what exactly is on the table.br /br /That gap has led to concerns the negotiations – already expected by many to be extremely difficult given the parties involved and the range of issues to be addressed – are falling off the rails even before they have started.br /br /The talks for a Canada-EU economic partnership agreement, named as such because it is expected to scope far beyond a traditional free trade agreement, are expected to be the most challenging Canada has ever attempted.br /br /The agreement is expected to tap into federal and provincial sectors and regulations across Canada, and aims to bring them in line with those of the 27-country EU. It will also include things like labour mobility, government procurement and intellectual property rules.br /br /An EU official last week told Embassy that Canada had, after resisting for years, agreed to put all federal and provincial sectors up for possible negotiation – and that this is why the EU finally approved trade talks.br /br /“Both sides have said everything is on the table for discussion, and we’ve been very clear about that,” said Anya Oram, head of the economic and commercial section at the delegation of the European Commission to Canada. “Nothing is taboo as far as bringing it into these negotiations is concerned…We’re prepared to discuss everything, we have no hidden issues.”br /br /But during a technical briefing on Friday in advance of today’s Canada-EU summit in the Czech Republic, a spokesman for Prime Minister Stephen Harper said that was not the case – especially when it comes to politically sensitive agricultural sectors protected in Canada by supply management. Read more a href=”http://www.bilaterals.org/article.php3?id_article=14983″here/a.

span style=”font-size:85%;”(ISRIA)/spanbr /br /This year’s EU-Canada summit will take place in Prague on 6 May. The EU will be represented by European Commission President José Manuel Barroso and the Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolánek in his role as EU President in Office. Canada will be represented by Prime Minister Stephen Harper. The Summit agenda will cover a range of issues starting from a follow-up to the recent G-20 meeting in London to an array of bilateral topics, such as the marking of the EU-Canada Air Transport Agreement and the EU-Canada Air Safety Agreement.br /br /The centrepiece of this year’s summit is the EU-Canada economic partnership as it will see the launch of negotiations towards a new economic and free trade agreement. This agreement will go beyond current WTO commitments and will reinforce the already strong bilateral trade and investment relationship. Furthermore, leaders will express their commitment to building a low-carbon global economy while strengthening capacity to adapt to the impacts of climate change. Other issues to be touched upon will include Afghanistan, where the EU and Canada are co-operating closely together to promote good governance and the rule of law.br /br /Prior to the Summit President José Manuel Barroso commented: “This Summit will launch key initiatives which will boost our partnership and will bring clear benefits to our citizens. The negotiations towards a new economic and free trade agreement will lift EU-Canada relations to an altogether new level. And the air services- and air safety agreements are the most ambitious we have ever concluded. This is the kind of signals we need to send out at this crucial time, signals that we want to keep open markets to generate prosperity.”br /br /Read more a href=”http://7thspace.com/headlines/308360/eu_canada_summit_to_launch_negotiations_for_a_new_economic_and_free_trade_agreement.html”here/a; background information is available a href=”http://ec.europa.eu/external_relations/canada/index_en.htm” target=”_blank”here/a.

span style=”font-size:85%;”Terry Pedwell — The Canadian Press/spanbr /br /Prime Minister Stephen Harper has the backing of a majority of Canadians as he launches the next phase of trade talks with the European Union, a new poll suggests.br /br /And federal officials say the vast majority of provinces are on board, too, despite the objections of at least one premier, Newfoundland and Labrador’s Danny Williams.br /br /Harper will travel to the Czech Republic on Tuesday to participate in meetings with European leaders.br /br /At the top of the agenda is the formal launch of negotiations toward what officials are calling an “economic partnership” akin to the North American Free Trade Agreement involving Canada, the United States and Mexico. Read more a href=”http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Politics/2009/05/03/9334606-cp.html”here/a.

pspan style=”font-size:85%;”(FAITC)br //spanbr /strongFinal Environment Assessment of the Canada-Colombia and Canada-Peru Free Trade Agreement (FTA) Negotiationsbr //strongbr /This report outlines the results of the Final Environmental Assessment (EA) of the Canada-Colombia and Canada-Peru Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations. Report available a href=”http://www.international.gc.ca/trade-agreements-accords-commerciaux/agr-acc/andean-andin/final-ea-colombia-peru-ee-finale-colombie-perou.aspx?lang=en” target=”_blank”here/a.br /br /strongCanada-European Free Trade Association (EFTA)/strongbr /br /On April 29, 2009, the Honourable Stockwell Day, Minister of International Trade and Minister for the Asia-Pacific Gateway, announced that legislation to implement the free trade agreement (FTA) signed by Canada and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries. Report available a href=”http://www.international.gc.ca/trade-agreements-accords-commerciaux/agr-acc/efta-aele.aspx?lang=en” target=”_blank”here/a./p

span style=”font-size:85%;”(Toby Vogel — European Voice)/spanbr /br / bMember states want ‘enhanced’ trade deal. Canadian ambassador says his country is ‘enthusiastic’/bbr /br /Canada and the European Union are to launch free-trade talks at a summit in Prague on Wednesday (6 May) after the member states of the EU agreed on Monday (27 April) a negotiating mandate for an “enhanced” trade agreement with Canada. br /br /Ross Hornby, Canada’s ambassador to the EU, told European Voice that the negotiations would be “complex and comprehensive” and go beyond the market-opening foreseen by the World Trade Organization (WTO). “We are quite enthusiastic,” he said. […]br /br /Bilateral trade in goods and services last year exceeded €70 billion, according to Commission figures. Read more a href=”http://www.europeanvoice.com/article/imported/eu-to-launch-free-trade-talks-with-canada-at-prague-summit/64729.aspx”here/a.

span style=”font-size:85%;”(Globe amp; Mail)/spanbr /br /Baby seals, beef hormones and other contentious topics may yet stand in the way of a trade treaty between the European Union and Canada, but the decision on Monday of the EU’s foreign ministers to authorize the formal beginning of negotiations for such an agreement, next week in Prague, is an encouraging step at a time of recession-influenced protectionist pressures around the world.br /br /It is always good for Canada to diversify its trade relationships, though long-standing friendship and close proximity give permanent primacy to trade between Canada and the United States. When the U.S. is the epicentre of a global recession, however, Canadian businesses and governments must work hard to compensate for the current decline in American demand for our exports.br /br /There is also a wider context. The Doha Round of international trade negotiations is languishing, at best. For the time being, progress in freer trade will have to come from bilateral treaties – though Canada’s relationship with an often unwieldy 27-member economic community verges on being multilateral. Read more a href=”http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20090430.EEU30ART2215/TPStory/Comment”here/a.

span style=”font-size:85%;”(Minister of International Trade)/spanbr /span style=”font-size:85%;”/spanbr /The Honourable Stockwell Day, Minister of International Trade and Minister for the Asia-Pacific Gateway, announced today that the free trade agreement (FTA) with the states of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) – Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland – has received Royal Assent. The agreement is on track to come into effect on July 1, 2009.br /br /“Trade is extremely important to Canada’s continued prosperity,” said Minister Day.br /br /“Implementing this agreement – the first free trade agreement Canada has ever completed with European countries – will open more doors for Canadian producers and exporters by increasing their access to the wealthy and sophisticated EFTA markets.”br /br /Canada’s producers and exporters will benefit immediately from the elimination of duties on all Canadian non-agricultural merchandise exports upon entry into force of the FTA. Tariffs will also be eliminated or reduced on selected Canadian agricultural exports such as durum wheat, frozen french fries, beer and crude canola oil. As well, Canadian companies will be able to access innovative technologies and other inputs from EFTA markets at lower costs, including through the importation of machinery and scientific and precision instruments.br /br /“This agreement will provide not only a strategic opportunity for Canadian companies to tap directly into EFTA value chains, but also indirect access to the European Union,” said Minister Day. “The Government of Canada is committed to opening up new markets for Canadian business and expanding existing ones. During this period of extraordinary global economic challenges and uncertainty, it is more important than ever that we pursue international trade opportunities.”br /br /Together, the EFTA countries were Canada’s seventh-largest merchandise export destination in 2008. Canada exported $4.2 billion in merchandise to the EFTA countries in 2008, with two-way merchandise trade valued at $13.2 billion.

span style=”font-size:85%;”(Minister of International Trade)br //spanbr /The Honourable Stockwell Day, Minister of International Trade and Minister for the Asia-Pacific Gateway, today tabled legislation in Parliament to implement Canada’s free trade agreement (FTA) with the states of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland). It is Canada’s first such agreement with European countries.br /br /“In a time of global economic instability, free trade is more important than ever. Canada already exports more than $5 billion per year to EFTA countries, and that figure will grow under this agreement,” said Minister Day. “The agreement demonstrates that our government is taking action to help create opportunities in the international marketplace. It will benefit Canadian businesses by reducing barriers to trade. At the same time, Canadian consumers will have access to a more affordable and diverse selection of goods from EFTA countries.”br /br /The Canada-EFTA FTA provides for the elimination of tariffs in all non-agricultural sectors including aluminum and cosmetics, prefabricated buildings, coldwater shrimp and apparel products.br /br /It will also provide for the elimination or reduction of tariffs on selected Canadian agricultural and agri-food products such as durum wheat, frozen blueberries, frozen french fries, beer and Canadian crude canola oil.br /br /The Government of Canada held extensive consultations with stakeholders throughout the negotiation of the agreement to ensure that their interests and concerns were taken into account.br /br /The Canada-EFTA FTA is part of Canada’s Global Commerce Strategy, which aims to advance Canada’s commercial interests in key markets through an ambitious free trade agenda. For more information on the strategy, please visit the International Trade website a href=”http://www.international.gc.ca/commerce/strategy-strategie/index.aspx?lang=en” target=”_blank”here/a.