President Obama's Trip to Canada

Americas Society and Council of the Americas hosted a pre-trip panel discussion for media and the public in anticipation of President Obama´s first international trip. The February 19, 7-hour visit to Ottawa, Canada, includes meetings with Prime Minister Stephen Harper and other Canadian officials. Panelists discussed topics ranging from the economy and trade to energy and Afghanistan.
 

Listen to a podcast of the videoconference.

Speakers:

• Governor James J. Blanchard, Former U.S. Ambassador to Canada, Partner, DLA Piper
• Stephen Handelman, Former Columnist, Time Magazine Canada, Managing Editor, Americas Quarterly
• Liz Harper, Foreign Affairs and Defense Reporter, The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer (Moderator)

Economy

Panelists stressed the important, long-standing political and economic ties between the two countries. The two markets are highly interconnected, with two-way trade that crosses the border between Detroit, Michigan and Windsor, Ontario equaling all U.S. exports to Japan. Similar to the U.S. Midwest, the downturn in the auto industry has had a major effect on Canada’s economy, particularly in Ontario, according to Governor Blanchard. In fact, Ontario is home to all of Canada’s auto manufacturing plants, with the industry employing about 400,000 people. The U.S.-Canada auto supply chain is highly integrated and, therefore, the restructuring of the auto industry in the United States will have a major impact on the Canadian auto sector.

Regional cooperation

The outcome of the Obama-Harper meeting will serve as a message not only to Canadians, but also to leaders throughout the Western Hemisphere of how President Obama intends to work with his counterparts to rebuild the global economy. Stephen Handelman explained that Canada has stepped up its efforts to create strong ties with Latin America. In May 2008, Canada signed a free-trade agreement (FTA) with Peru, and in November 2008, a FTA was signed with Colombia. These agreements come on top of FTAs previously signed with Chile and Costa Rica, and of course, its signature to the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Mr. Handelman emphasized the uniqueness of the relationship between Canada and the United States, the result of their shared border and highly interdependent economies. Every day Canadian and U.S. officials are meeting and coordinating on topics ranging from border security to agriculture and the economy. A strong U.S.-Canada relationship will allow for greater cooperation throughout the region, and panelists agreed that an important indicator of how the relationship will develop is the ability to overcome challenges such the “Buy American” provision inserted in the U.S. fiscal stimulus bill.