Canada letting U.S. win trade battle

The Washington Post reported from a transcript of President Donald Trump’s conversation with Mexican President, Pena Nieto.

Trump sees Mexico’s low wages and indifference to labour standards as an unfair advantage over U.S. auto employment but we can take reassurance from the fact that he does not see Canada in the same light: “Well, Canada is no problem ... do not even think of them.” He added, “They are fine and we have had a very fair relationship with Canada.”

These words should ease the disquiet that is accumulating on the eve of resurgent NAFTA talks but we should not rest easily because they may be a reference to the disadvantages being created by our own policies.

Ontario’s diminished manufacturing capacity is still the bulk of Canadian industry. While those in charge of our economic policies like to continue blaming the Great Recession for the downturn, it has been almost 10 years now and we are still far from recovering what we had.

It should be clear by now that some policies are detrimental to our economic health.

We are at opposite poles from the U.S. on carbon taxes, electricity prices (in fact, we provide cheap electricity to northern states after creating it at great cost), increased pension obligations and steadily ratcheting income taxes.

These are all detrimental to the health of Ontario manufacturers. It is no wonder that Trump does not see us as a threat, we are ceding the farm to him. Richard Fuschi, Tecumseh