Short Shrift

Come on! The fellow is simply a-dor-able. The jolliest of green giants, striding confidently across the world stage with dignity and bonhomie to spare. He loves everyone. How not to love him right back? Stiff upper lip now - now that we've taken it there anyway; whoops, that should be the chin. Save the lip, don't want to appear an ingrate on the world stage. This great communicator has just informed us that we're cry-babies.

Buy American policy, requiring that American suppliers make exclusive use of U.S.-produced materials in the economic-recovery projects being unleashed, and covered by the U.S. stimulus program, is no big deal. So said the President. Of the United States. Who should know, after all, having casually but with aforethought committed his country to a massive economic rescue plan to haul it out of the doldrums of financial collapse.

"It's important to keep it in perspective that, in fact, we have not seen some sweeping steps toward protectionism", said the Democratic President of the United States. For the Buy American policy attached to the $787-billion stimulus bill by a Democratic-dominated Congress and Senate - whose protectionist bent is well documented - applies only to the stimulus program. Oh. And here Canada has been concerned for no good reason.

That Canada's manufacturing sector, so closely aligned with that of the U.S. that it seems there is great difficulty in discerning where one has left off and the other begins, suddenly finds itself unable to pursue business as usual because of this clause remains bemused and shut out, is our problem, not theirs, it seems. The provincial premiers, so confident that their Prime Minister would be able to present a reasonable argument against Buy American, can take a deep breath.

They've been holding it in too long. This is, after all, a two-way street. The North-American Free Trade Agreement, it is held, applies only federally; the individual States may go their own way, and it is toward each of the States that the stimulus package is directed. Of course provincial and municipal projects in Canada which often go hand-in-glove with American providers of goods and services can respond.

And of course all concerned parties; the U.S. and Canada, are well aware that this is just the beginning. Additional legislation, emanating from belligerently protectionist states - not those particularly bordering Canadian provinces which are accustomed to amicably and rewardingly doing business with their neighbour - is currently working its way through Congress, with similar Buy American provisions.

President Obama knows very well the impact and the import of the situation between the two trading partners. "It was not something that I thought was necessary, but it was introduced at a time when we had a very severe economic situation, and it was important for us to act quickly and not get bogged down in debates around this particular provision". Yep.