Behind the Numbers

Entries Tagged as 'International Trade and Investment'

The CETA and Nova Scotia: Oversold benefits, Untold Costs

October 23rd, 2012 · · Democracy, Economy & Economic Indicators, Employment and Labour, International Trade and Investment, Maritime Provinces, Nova Scotia

A new report on the Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement (CETA) concludes that the agreement’s benefits for Nova Scotia are being oversold, while its costs and consequences are minimized or even ignored.

Indeed, EU officials are in Halifax right now selling the benefits of the CETA for Nova Scotia. Media report the officials as reassuring Nova Scotia that our fisheries industry will benefit, and that Halifax will benefit from extra port traffic. As for the costs, media report that Nova Scotia shouldn’t worry too much about the patent term extension for brand name drugs, or about removing municipalities’ ability to consider local benefits in procurement contracts. The evidence to support why Nova Scotia shouldn’t worry was not reported in the media nor, in fact, has it ever been reported anywhere else. ...Read more

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Defending Green Jobs at the WTO

May 14th, 2012 · · Employment and Labour, Environment, International Trade and Investment, Media, Ontario

As a partner in Blue Green Canada, the United Steelworkers have issued the following news release.

Erin Weir is an economist with the United Steelworkers union and a CCPA research associate.

WTO Called Upon to Dismiss Japan, EU Challenge to Canadian Renewable Energy Policy

Canadian NGOs and labour unions have sent an amicus curiae submission to the World Trade Organization (WTO) on the eve of a second hearing tomorrow into Japan’s and the European Union’s joint attack on the Ontario Green Energy Act. The groups address Canada’s failure to properly defend Ontario’s actions and call upon the WTO to respect the priority of Canada’s international climate change obligations. ...Read more

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The Loonie’s Stagnant Purchasing Power

March 7th, 2012 · · Economy & Economic Indicators, Employment and Labour, International Trade and Investment

The following note also appears on Business Insider:

When Ontario’s Premier recently complained that Canada’s petro-dollar undermines manufacturing exports, many economists tripped over each other to counter that a strong loonie benefits all Canadians through cheaper imports.

In theory, that makes sense. Incomes denominated in Canadian dollars should be worth more if each Canadian dollar buys more.

But it’s not a theoretical question. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) measures the purchasing power of currencies in member countries.

The Exchange Rate vs. Purchasing Power Parity
(annual averages in U.S. cents) ...Read more

 Year  E-Rate  PPP

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Trans-Pacific Partnership

February 18th, 2012 · · International Trade and Investment

The United Steelworkers union made the following submission to the Government of Canada earlier this week.

Erin Weir is an economist with the United Steelworkers union and a CCPA research associate.

The United Steelworkers union welcomes the opportunity to comment on Canada’s proposed entry into the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) free trade negotiations.

Our union represents 200,000 Canadian workers, employed in every sector of the economy. While our traditional membership base has been in mining and steel, our membership has become increasingly diverse over the past twenty years. Our members now not only mine ore and make steel, but also produce electronics, auto parts, tires, rubber and plastics. They work in banks and credit unions, legal clinics, nursing homes, hotels, restaurants, cafeterias, warehouses, call centres, security companies, offices, universities, and trucking companies. ...Read more

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Remarks to a Town Hall Meeting on the CETA

December 12th, 2011 · · International Trade and Investment

Last week I spoke along with Maude Barlow and Paul Moist at a well-attended public meeting in Charlottetown on the Canada – European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA).  The PEI meeting was the last stop in a cross-country tour by Maude and Paul. Here are my opening remarks.

No one questions that international trade is vital for the Canadian economy.  But there are legitimate questions that need to be asked about who benefits from trade and about the role of public policies in ensuring that those benefits are shared as widely as possible. ...Read more

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A Left-Wing Productivity Agenda

December 12th, 2011 · · Economy & Economic Indicators, International Trade and Investment

Statistics Canada released an interesting study today on the slowdown of productivity growth in Canadian manufacturing.

Conservative economists tend to view productivity as a microeconomic issue, reflecting the allocation of scarce resources through the market. The way to maximize productivity is to remove taxes, regulations and other “barriers” to the market’s free functioning.

However, the largest driver of productivity is investment in new machinery, equipment, structures and the technology embedded in them. Businesses will make such investments in additional capacity only if demand outstrips their existing capacity. In that sense, productivity may actually be a macroeconomic issue, reflecting the overall level of economic demand. ...Read more

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Buy American Issue is Back in the News

September 15th, 2011 · · International Trade and Investment

No one should be surprised that a Buy American provision has been included in the American Jobs Act, President Obama’s new job creation bill.  Such provisions have been standard features of U.S. infrastructure spending and procurement legislation for decades.

Despite the economic importance of this bill, there is a lot of misinformation on what it actually means in regards to Canada-U.S. relations and future international trade policies. ...Read more

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CETA: A Hot Topic at Gathering of Municipal Leaders

June 7th, 2011 · · Cities, International Trade and Investment

The Canada-EU Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) was a hot topic of debate at the recent Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) annual conference, held in Halifax.

Leading up to the June 3-6 conference, the Union of BC Municipalities called on the FCM to seek a “clear, permanent exemption” for municipalities” from the CETA.  In the CETA negotiations, the European Commission is seeking full coverage of sub-national (provincial and municipal) procurement, an area where Canada had, until recently, not made any commitments under international trade treaties.  In Canada, as in Europe, many important public services, such as waste, water and public transit, are delivered by local authorities.  The exclusion of local purchasing and services from the procurement restrictions of trade treaties has provided policy flexibility to use such purchasing as a tool for local economic development.  It has also reduced the risk of litigation and demands for compensation from foreign investors and service providers when privatisation schemes are halted or reversed. ...Read more

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