Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney says he's setting a goal for the country to double its non-U.S. exports in the next decade, saying Canada’s former strengths based on close ties to the United States have become vulnerabilities.
As for the trade deficit, I’m not sure it matters to a great extent. When a rich country tades with a poorer country it is normal for the rich country to be able to afford more imports than the poorer country. However, the trade deal can still benefit the country with the trade deficit. Our raw materials and goods will still find new markets because they will be more affordable to indonesians, and canadian consumers will have indonesian goodss for cheaper. we have a relative advantage for certain high tech and biomedical stuff, so we might see job growth in areas that we are already strong in. I don’t care if my cheap manufactured goods are made abroad as long as other jobs are created. Alan Greenspan had an interesting take on trade deficits: i don’t have time to find the quote, but it is along the lines of “we give them dollars and they give us actual real-world goods - seems like a good deal.” Trade is not a zero sum game - it can provide an advantage to both sides, even when one side benefits more.
As for the deals being small compared to the us: there are no american-sized economies hidden under a rug or something. Carney can’t just make a new trading partner out of thin air. replacing US trade is a huge undertaking that will still be going when my children are dead of old age. Carney will not live long enough to fix everything, but it is wrong to say that he has done nothing.
Canada-indonesia free trade agreement: https://globalnews.ca/news/11449417/canada-indonesia-trade-agreement/
Canada-mexico trade agreement without USA: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwy8r042nx2o
And we had new trade agreements with Europe under Biden.
There is nothing really new here.
The Indonesia agreement is great for Indonesia, but puts Canada in $600M trade deficits.
Both deals are a few percent of US trade.
Every bit counts. I would like to see a future where we aren’t doing any business with the US.
The US is eating it’s own head and will probably fail in the near future. We need to be ready for that.
It’s true, i didn’t actually read the agreement.
As for the trade deficit, I’m not sure it matters to a great extent. When a rich country tades with a poorer country it is normal for the rich country to be able to afford more imports than the poorer country. However, the trade deal can still benefit the country with the trade deficit. Our raw materials and goods will still find new markets because they will be more affordable to indonesians, and canadian consumers will have indonesian goodss for cheaper. we have a relative advantage for certain high tech and biomedical stuff, so we might see job growth in areas that we are already strong in. I don’t care if my cheap manufactured goods are made abroad as long as other jobs are created. Alan Greenspan had an interesting take on trade deficits: i don’t have time to find the quote, but it is along the lines of “we give them dollars and they give us actual real-world goods - seems like a good deal.” Trade is not a zero sum game - it can provide an advantage to both sides, even when one side benefits more.
As for the deals being small compared to the us: there are no american-sized economies hidden under a rug or something. Carney can’t just make a new trading partner out of thin air. replacing US trade is a huge undertaking that will still be going when my children are dead of old age. Carney will not live long enough to fix everything, but it is wrong to say that he has done nothing.