Latest...

 2012

Canadian American Business Council Celebrates 25 Years as the ...
Canadian American Business Council Celebrates 25 Years as the Premier Voice of the Canadian American Business Community.

Federal Liberals turn to U.S. Democrats for advice- Scotty Greenwood of the Canadian American Business Council, who knows Democratic politics well in the U.S., says these political players can lend Liberals the nuts-and-bolts kind of talk that promises to dominate the convention this month.


2011

Click below to read the Action Plans for Canada/U.S. Beyond the Border and Regulatory Cooperation Council


Canadian stimulus helped America too: Ed Clark  (READ  PDF)

Ed Clark, president and CEO of TD Bank Group, speaks at the Canadian American Business Council's 17th annual Policy Forum at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre on Tuesday.


Copyright laws lag, media markets suffer: execs
iPolitics.ca
“There is a lack of harmonization of copyright laws between Canada and the US,” Castle said on the sidelines of the Canadian American Business Council ...


Canada-US deal could soon ease burden of cross-border red tape
iPolitics.ca
... regulatory policy and the American side of the Canada-US Regulatory Co-operation Council, told the Canadian American Business Council that the plan will ...


Canadian stimulus funds create jobs in the US: Ed Clark
Financial Post
Mr. Clark made the comments at the Canadian American Business Council Luncheon. The US faces enormous economic challenges today. ...
Canadian stimulus funds create jobs in the US: Ed Clark


Buy American (and be damned)!

As U.S. companies fight restrictions abroad, protectionism is rising at home

U.S. senator mounts spirited defence of Canada's oilsands, Keystone XL pipeline

"Canadians brace for economic aftermath of U.S. job plan" (Global News, 09/15/11)

Click here to see presentations from CABC’s June 8th Conference “The Shale Gas Revolution"

Shell Canada's Pierce discusses opportunities for partnerships with the U.S. on shale exploration (OnPoint, 06/09/2011)  watch watch video read read transcript

Click here to read President Obama's February 7 address about creating jobs and the need for increasing trade and exports to the U.S. business community at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce

Remarks by President Obama and Prime Minister Harper following their White House meeting on February 4, 2011

"Canada on the world stage" (February 11 Feature)
http://www.canadianbusinessjournal.ca/features/febraury_11_features/canada_on_the_world_stage.html_world_stage.html

"Joint Statement and Declaration by President Obama and Prime Minister Harper of Canada on Regulatory Cooperation and Beyond the Border: A Shared Vision for Perimeter Security and Economic Competitiveness"  Read Here

Obama, Harper to announce border-security review
Vancouver Sun In Washington, Maryscott Greenwood, a senior adviser to the Canadian-American Business Council, called the draft agreement a "meaningful step forward" that ...

CABC Calls for Regulatory Cooperation in Upcoming Meeting of the
Prime Minister of Canada and President of the United States
WASHINGTON, D.C. (February 2, 2011)  At the upcoming meeting of the Prime Minister of Canada and President of the United States, the CABC urges the two leaders to commit to making measurable progress on the issue of cross-border regulatory harmonization. Such bilateral cooperation has the potential to significantly stimulate further economic recovery without requiring financial expenditures by governments. Read more

CABC Announces Election of New Director to the Board

WASHINGTON, D.C. (January 24, 2011) – The Canadian American Business Council (CABC) announced today the election of a new member to its Board of Directors - Duncan Dee, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at Air Canada.

BACON: Go north, young man, go north
Canada is quietly surpassing the U.S. as the land of opportunity

Unless the Winter Olympics are on television or someone is clubbing baby seals, Americans don't pay much attention to what's happening in Canada. It's as if we live in a house with a set of quiet, orderly neighbors on one side and a bachelor pad with drunken parties, girls in the hot tub and occasional gunshot eruptions on the other. To whom would you pay more attention?

Canada home of the future, U.S. report says
Washington Times op-ed piece notes Canada's strong banks, stable housing market

By Rebecca Lindell
Postmedia News

January 5, 2011
Canada has strong banks, a stable real estate market and rock-bottom corporate tax rates, and it's about time Americans paid attention, according to a Washington Times op-ed piece. ....
 2010
 US Mid-term Elections and Canada -WHAT HAPPENED? See poll results here.
 

CEA Welcomes New Member Canadian American Business Council

HOUSTON Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA) is pleased to welcome a new affiliate member, the Canadian American Business Council, a premier voice of the Canadian American business community in Washington. The council represents leading Canadian and American businesses and their commitment to collaboration in the business sector.

Gulf spill makes oilsands more appealing

These pipelines carry steam to Suncor's Firebag in-situ operations north of Fort McMurray. Suncor is the oldest oilsands operator, with two active mine sites (Steepbank and Millennium) and one thermal play (Firebag) that together produce about 260,000 barrels a day.
Photograph by: Chris Schwarz, CanWest News Service

Mexico now outstripping Canada as New Hampshire's No. 1 trading ...
Jeanne Shaheen's revelation during the recent Canadian-American Business Council meeting caused a stir, prompting many in the crowd to wonder if it illuminated strains in the Canada-U.S. trading relationship. ...
World Breaking News - http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/world/breakingnews/

Premiers must engage in bilateral business: executive
Relations: Synching the way Canada and U.S. do business would make trade and supply chains more efficient, Canadian American Business Council executive director says

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Scotty Greenwood can't walk very far along Pennsylvania Avenue, steps from Capitol Hill, without running into someone she knows.
Feb 12, 2010 Never forget who your friends are
In case Americans forgot Canadians are important friends, they're about to be reminded, over and over. The Canadian American Business Council is running a TV ad dozens of times during Vancouver Olympiccoverage via NBC's affiliate in Washington. The spot gently reminds Americans they are reliant on us for energy and exports. The council says the ad targets bigwigs “inside the Beltway,” some of whom have been critical of oil sands development. We're sure once they see this ad – and Joannie Rochette's figure skating prowess – it will all be water under the bridge.

Continental divide - Keeping a domestically absorbed U.S. aware of the issues that affect us
WASHINGTON–
Every so often, about 15 Canadians, Americans and Mexicans quietly get together in downtown Washington. They call themselves the Neighborhood Watch.

Diplomats from the Canadian Embassy and the Mexican Embassy are not invited. Neither are bureaucrats from the U.S. government.......read more

Unnatural bed fellows fortify bilateral links
Toronto Star
Scotty Greenwood, executive director of the Washington-based Canadian American Business Council, disagrees, pointing to the recent deployment of two ...


Colin Robertson: Jaw-jaw is still better than war-war, just very expensive
The term ‘summit’ was coined by Winston Churchill for face-to-face diplomatic encounters between leaders. Summitry is predicated upon the idea that better personal relations between leaders can yield diplomatic benefits or as Churchill put it, ‘jaw-jaw’ is better than ‘war-war’. This was particularly important during the Cold War when the intent was to encourage the leaders of the Soviet Union and United States to reach for the red telephone rather than the red button...(read more)

The Canadian Press  WASHINGTON (Feb 9, 2010)
A 30-second commercial playing up the close ties between Canada and the United States will air on Washington's NBC affiliate dozens of times during the upcoming Vancouver Winter Olympics. read more...

Trade minister Day shuffled as talks loom

Canadian-American Business Council executive director Maryscott Greenwood said she has high hopes for Mr. Van Loan given his experience as a public safety minister.

"I think [Mr. Van Loan] did a spectacular job in forging a close working relationship with his counterpart, [Homeland Security] Secretary [Janet] Napolitano, in what was a pretty challenging time early in their tenure," she said.
"His instinct in the way he dealt with her will serve him extraordinarily well in the trade portfolio, particularly vis-à-vis the US."

Taking over as public safety minister is former Treasury Board president Vic Toews, of Manitoba. He served as justice minister during the first Conservative minority government starting in February 2006.  read more

 2009
 US governors to host Canada's premiers at influential event
Winnipeg Free Press
Lawmakers introduced legislation to tighten the Buy American rules to help ... executive director of the Canadian-American Business Council, said Friday. ...
CABC'S Executive Director Maryscott Greenwood named 'One of The Top 100 Most Influential People in Politics' by The Hill Times
www.hilltimes.com 
See full report Page 26
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper addresses the Canadian...
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper addresses the Canadian American Business Council in New York in this September 17, 2009 file photo. ...
 

CABC/PM STEVEN HARPER EVENT Print and Broadcast Coverage Prime Minister Harper's speech to CABC 2009 

 

CABC Announces major ad buy ahead of Prime Minister Harper's trip to Washington DC              Read about ad here      View ad here

 

U.S. trade waiver `no silver bullet' Ottawa's request for `Buy American' exemption might not stem local protectionism, observers say - The SPP's Death Knell has Sounded

Americans Support Cooperative Approach on North American Trade and Climate Issues -- Strong Backing for Trade


Press Release- CABC Expresses Optimism At Jacobson Confirmation Hearing

 A few small steps, not one big plan | This is the new norm in Canada’s relations with the United States

July 2009

CABC WELCOMES NEW CHAIRMAN AND FOUR NEW MEMBERS TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Canada not enemy in 'Buy America' furor, poll suggests

"Buy American" Laws Receive Overwhelming Approval from US Voters - SEE SURVEY RESULTS HERE

Canada not enemy in 'Buy America' furor, poll suggests

Northern Border Discord- US Securies, Trade Measures Anger Canadians   American Shipper

June 2009

Hillary Rodham Clinton - Remarks at the 100th Anniversary of the Boundary Waters Treaty
Secretary of State    Rainbow Bridge, Niagara Falls    June 13, 2009

Obama pal named envoy to Canada  By Lee-Anne Goodman, THE CANADIAN PRESS

Chicago lawyer named ambassador to Canada
The Canadian Press - WASHINGTON
Maryscott (Scotty) Greenwood, the executive director of the Washington-based Canadian-American Business Council, says Jacobson's close relationship with the ...

New border rules won't be strictly enforced, US official says
Windsor Star - Windsor,Ontario,Canada
While business and industry officials praised that effort for minimizing delays, ... executive director of the Canadian American Business Council, ...

A table for two, not three ---- Canada and the U.S. share a special long-standing relationship that doesn't include Mexico
JOHN MANLEY AND GORDON GIFFIN

A Case For The Three Amigos----ANDRÉS ROZENTAL AND ROBERT PASTOR
From Friday's Globe and Mail


 April 2009 

Envoy rebukes U.S. for linking 9/11 terrorists to Canada
Maryscott Greenwood, executive director of the Canadian American Business Council, said there may be a "silver lining" in the controversy over Ms. Napolitano's comments. "She misspoke. It's unfortunate, but she's human," Ms. Greenwood ...

  See alsoRemarks by Secretary Napolitano at the Border Trade -Allience International Conference April 21,2009

 March, 2009

No 'magic wand' to fix border troubles: US security head
Windsor Star - 13 hours ago
Maryscott Greenwood, director of the Canadian American Business Council, said Napolitano was "refreshingly candid" in her assessment of the ongoing border ...

 February 2009

      http://www.thestar.com/Article/581342
What's behind the 'trade war' talk
Buy America provisions allowed under NAFTA; it's U.S. companies that don't want restrictions

 
Angus Reid Poll: Canadian Prescription Drugs More Important than ...
... the use and conservation of energy resources, a new Angus Reid Strategies poll on behalf of the Canadian American Business Council (CABC) has found. ...
 

"At the Border, Fees are Hurting Trade" article by CABC Director, Matt Nolan                                                              Canadian commerce tends to involve multiple crossings, and those costs can quickly add up.

 

Amid partisan grumbles, U.S. stimulus deal struck 

Maryscott Greenwood, executive director of the Canadian-American Business Council, said Wednesday night she wanted to see the final legislation before passing judgment on the “Buy American” compromise.

The CABC’s “strong preference is to remove all references to ‘Buy American’ provisions — and any other protectionist measure for that matter,” said Greenwood. “We will have to see if the exceptions are workable from a pragmatic, supply chain point of view.”

 
Signals mixed in reaction to Canada’s push against 'Buy American'
Canada.com - Don Mills,Ontario,Canada
Opposition to 'Buy American' provisions in Congress's economic stimulus package continued ... executive director of the Canadian-American Business Council, ...

 January 2009 

On The Hill : Friday, Jan. 30 : Scotty Greenwood, Canadian ...
30 : Scotty Greenwood, Canadian-American Business Council, on the protectionism fears Video on AOL Video - The White House says its 'Buy American' ...
 
Buy-U.S. policy alarms Ottawa  Tonda MacCharles and Les Whittington 
OTTAWA (Jan 30, 2009) -- A "Buy American" rider in the massive U.S. economic...
 
New security chief for US likely to ease border rules
Toronto Star - Ontario, Canada
But Maryscott Greenwood, executive director of the Canadian-American Business Council says she believes Napolitano will stress the need for economic ...
 
Burlington, California firms dig in for award   Hamilton Spectator - Hamilton,ON,Canada
... of Santa Clara, Calif., are joint winners of the 2008 cross-border business achievement award given by the Canadian American Business Council. ...

 

For Buffalo’s Future, Western New Yorkers Look to Canadian Connection
... going be a whole new approach to the way we run our borders,” said Maryscott Greenwood, executive director of the Canadian American Business Council. ...
 E-Z-EM and O'Dell Engineering Win CABC Business Achievement Award ...
"We are honored to be recognized by the Canadian-American Business Council, and with the opportunity we've had to work with O'Dell Engineering. ...
 
 http://www.canada.com/topics/news/world/story.html?id=1232625
 Harper voices concern over 'buy American' clause
Canada.com - Don Mills,Ontario,Canada
"We've very concerned," said Scotty Greenwood, executive director of the Canadian-American Business Council, which lobbies on behalf of companies with ...
The ' Buy American ' clause of the massive US $819 - billion stimulus bill , which passed the US House of Representatives on Wednesday , has many countries , including Canada , voicing concerns .
 
The Democrats are in power, but the Republicans are alive and well in Canada
 

Full-page ads on Canada-US ties running in major American publications
Canoe.ca - Toronto,Ontario,Canada
The eye-catching advertisement, from the Canadian American Business Council, comes on the heels of a poll conducted by The Canadian Press Harris-Decima ... Read ad here.

 
PLUM JOB Or Pain-in-the-Neck?
by Mark Iype
The posting of United States ambassador to Canada has long been one of the most sought-after positions in the American foreign service. But according to some experts on U.S.–Canada relations, that is no longer the case.

"There is nobody clamouring for the job, and that silence is incredibly interesting," said Christopher Sands, a senior fellow specializing in Canada-U.S. issues at the Hudson Institute, a Washington, D.C. based think-tank.

www.embassymag.ca
 
Early Visit to Canada by President Obama Offers Unique Opportunity to Re-Shape the Canada-United States Partnership

Thomas d'Aquino, Chief Executive and President of the Canadian Council of Chief Executives stresses the unique opportunity for Canadian leadership to re-shape relationship with the United States early on.

View Full Report

                                                     

A Fond Farewell

U.S. Ambassador to Canada David Wilkins highlights in the National Post what living in Canada has taught him.

Read Full Article

 

A Canada-U.S. Agenda for the New Administration

This Canadian Chamber of Commerce report recommends 5 important areas that the U.S.-Canada economic agenda should focus on. 

View Full Report


 

Canada Welcomes Obama :       Scotty Greenwood speaks on this historic visit

U.S. president-elect Barack Obama has accepted an invitation from Prime Minister Stephen Harper to visit Canada as his first official state visit after his inauguration.

Wheat looking better for next year
AG Week - Grand Forks,ND,USA
Steady export business still is being written by Canadian exporters but there is no discretionary buying. Purchases are either regular ongoing business or ...
 

Early Visit to Canada by President Obama Offers Unique Opportunity to Re-Shape the Canada-United States Partnership

Thomas d'Aquino, Chief Executive and President of the Canadian Council of Chief Executives stresses the unique opportunity for Canadian leadership to re-shape relationship with the United States early on.
View Full Report

November 2008

Quote of the day
By David Eaves
I was fortunate enough to see Jamal Simmons give the keynote at yesterday’s Canadian-American Business
Council luncheon and this line really just floored me. In fact, I think I and a few others in the room almost gotemotional when he ...

Inside glimpse of Obama
24 Hours Vancouver - Vancouver,British Columbia,Canada
"Obama has to pick a cabinet," said political advisor turned CNN analyst Jamal Simmons, yesterday, at the 14th annual Canadian American Business Council ...
Time for stronger international ties
The Province - Vancouver,BC,Canada
Obama campaign advisor Jamal Simmons spoke of strengthening relations yesterday at the Canadian American Business Council forum in Vancouver. ...
Underground mine communication system earns major award for ...
By International Mining
Two companies - one Canadian, the other American - have been named joint winners of the 2008 cross-border business achievement award, the Canadian American Business Council (CABC) announced today. The technology involved is in ...
MINING.com News - http://news.mining.com/
Obama Will Improve Bilateral Ties, Say Both Canadians and Americans
By Muchmor
Most people in Canada and the United States think US President-elect Barack Obama will help improve relations between the two countries, an Angus Reid Strategies poll on behalf of the Canadian American Business Council (CABC) has found. ...
MUCHMOR MAGAZINE - http://www.muchmormagazine.com/

November 13, 2008

VANCOUVER, BC - Two companies - one Canadian, the other American - have been named joint winners of the 2008 cross-border business achievement award, the Canadian American Business Council (CABC) announced today.

November 12, 2008

B.C. and Washington State officials discuss need for improvements at Canada-U.S. border crossing – Global BC News Hour – 6:00 PM

Chris Gailus: The economic crunch rolling across North America has lit a new fire under plans to streamline things at the Canada-U.S. border. Officials on both sides are working to reduce that excessive wait time that costs both economies millions of dollars. As Jane Carrigan reports, they're hoping the upcoming changing of the guard in Washington, D.C. will help speed it along.

Reporter: Crossing the Canada-U.S. border in British Columbia can be a huge headache. And while there have been some improvements in an effort to get cars and trucks moving, there is still a long way to go.

Trucker: As long as you get here before 12:00. It’s just starting now but if you can get here before noon, everything is good.

Reporter to trucker: You think they can make some improvements?

Trucker: Yeah. There's always room for improvements.

Reporter: Improving those cross border travel times is the main goal for this meeting in Vancouver. Business groups and government on both sides of the border are trying to work together to streamline trade and travel.

Matt Morrison, Pacific Northwest Economic Region: The border is a critical element. We need to think outside the box. How can we do it better, smarter? We need a safe and secure border. But it must allow legitimate trade and travel.

Reporter: And in a faltering economy, trade is the important factor for both sides. Some $577 billion worth of cross border trade takes place between Canada and the U.S. each year.

John van Dongen: As we look at a tougher economy, we think it's very, very important that that border is operating as effectively as possible.

Reporter: Streamlining the border process means new enhanced drivers’ licenses for both British Columbians and Washingtonians.

Morrison: There are ways that processing at the border can be brought away from the border, like, you know…pre-screening for business visa travel and we’ve identified about 23 specific things that are, we think, must-fix before 2010.

Reporter: One thing that won’t be finished by 2010 is construction on the U.S. side leading up to the Peace Arch crossing. Yet both Americans and Canadians will be heading to Washington in February to try to convince the new administration about what needs to be done.

Scotty Greenwood, Canadian-American Business Council: And what we do at the council is in Washington, help policy makers understand just how important the relationship with Canada is, so it’s not a sell job but it is an education job.

Reporter: And it will mean a funding commitment from both Ottawa and Washington, in an effort to fast track people and vehicles.

 

Canada quietly adjusts to Obama's agenda      
CAMPBELL CLARK

November 5, 2008

Stephen Harper's government has made earning coin in Washington a key part of its foreign policy. But today, Ottawa will make its own transition from George W. Bush's security agenda to Barack Obama's economic agenda.

The changing times mean Canada must focus on finding shelter from a wave of protectionism expected in Congress, persuading Washington's new power brokers that U.S. and Canadian jobs are linked, and possibly, selling Canada as a path to reducing U.S. dependency on Middle East and Venezuelan oil, analysts say.

With opinion polls predicting that Mr. Obama, the Illinois Democratic Senator, would easily triumph over Arizona Republican John McCain, capitals around the world have been preparing for an Obama administration.

For Canada and Mr. Harper's government, it opens an opportunity similar to pressing a reset button on Canada-U.S. relations. But it also means vying for the attention of a new president facing a daunting mix of international and economic problems.

"There isn't much of a track record of interest on the part of Obama," said Allan Gotlieb, Canada's ambassador to Washington from 1981 to 1989. "The challenge will be to engage him in the Canada-U.S. file."

Mr. Obama is from a northern state, Illinois, that trades heavily with Canada, but unlike Mr. McCain, did not visit Canada to burnish his foreign-policy credentials, he noted.

Some of the issues that earned credit with Mr. Bush's administration, such as increased military spending, and Canada's role as a staunch NATO ally in Afghanistan, will still be appreciated in Washington, as Mr. Obama has pledged to make that mission a priority.

But a bigger Canadian concern will be a Democratic president backed by a heavily Democratic Congress riding a wave of protectionism fuelled by economic recession. The question is how Canada manages it, many analysts say.

"Will there be protectionist tendencies coming out of the 111th Congress? Yes. Will Barack Obama be more likely to stand in the way of those than George Bush would? Probably not. But that does not mean Canada should panic about its relationship with us," said Maryscott (Scotty) Greenwood, who was chief of staff at the U.S. embassy in Ottawa during the Bill Clinton administration and is now executive director of the Canadian American Business Council.

Despite Mr. Obama's comment during the Democratic primaries that he would force renegotiation of the North American free-trade agreement, he is surrounded by economic advisers friendly to North American trade, and many analysts believe he is not likely to threaten the core of the deal.

Congress is always more protectionist than the administration, because it reacts more to the pressures of local industries, so Canada must find broad strategies to argue that U.S. jobs depend on Canadian trade, said Colin Robertson, a former senior Canadian diplomat now heading a Carleton University project to create a blueprint for relations with the new administration.

Mr. Robertson has called for a "Team Canada Inc." approach - enlisting business and unions to argue that Canadian and U.S. auto plants, for example, work together to make cars, so that strengthening the North American supply chain, rather than weakening it, will keep Americans employed.

Mr. Gotlieb noted that a good relationship between leaders, can bring U.S. attention to Canadian concerns, and said Canadian officials should press for an early Harper-Obama meeting.

Few see obvious grounds for a close relationship; the two seem different in background, temperament and political leaning. They have spoken once, when Mr. Harper called to congratulate Mr. Obama on winning the Democratic nomination.

And a Canadian leak that weakened the credibility of Mr. Obama's position on NAFTA in rust-belt states created a political headache, although Ms. Greenwood bets it is forgotten. She said that Canada already has a card it can play to make its interests relevant to Mr. Obama, by selling itself as the solution to a U.S. "obsession" with energy security.

"Whether it's 'drill, baby, drill,' or 'reduce our dependence on foreign oil,' it's in every single political speech of everybody who's on the ballot right now," she said. A few weeks ago, Mr. Obama switched from criticizing dependence on "foreign" oil to decrying dependence on Middle East oil.

Ms. Greenwood said that wasn't insignificant, and Mr. Harper should seek to open common initiatives that tie efforts to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions to energy security, so Canada's oil sands are viewed as a potential political help to Mr. Obama.

October 28, 2008

Latest : Final stretch : CTV Newsnet: Maryscott Greenwood ...
Latest : Final stretch : CTV Newsnet: Maryscott Greenwood, Canadian-American Business Council. With a week to go to the U.S. election, the choice... (more) ...


It's past time for a new continental point of view...

October 11, 2008      Barbara Yaffe Vancouver Sun Saturday

Canadians, Americans and Mexicans are so focused on their borders that they're neglecting the giant bit of real estate on which their livelihoods depend. American political scientist Stephen Blank, in Vancouver recently to speak about North American integration, says those opposed are too late. It's a reality and it's time people gave the continent a hug. A large group of business and political elites from both sides of the border -- organized by the Canadian American Business Council -- will convene next month in Vancouver do some hugging and remind the public how important continental commerce has become to the countries involved. Blank wishes there were more such constituencies promoting North American linkages. "Where is the opposition to Lou Dobbs?" asks the professor, in reference to the CNN host who regularly rails against continental free trade and promotes U.S. nationalism. In Canada, the Council of Canadians and the New Democrats have taken a lead role in fighting integration.

All the fear-mongering makes it difficult for politicians to lead a charge in strengthening North American competitiveness.

A pity, says Blank. Because on everything from energy security to environmental and economic issues, the three nations at this point are more than best buddies.

"The political economy of North America is no longer composed of three autonomous national economies ....

"The U.S., Canadian and Mexican firms have created cross-border supply chains."

Production clusters and distribution hubs now dot the continent, and their health depends on improved transport connections and quicker border processes. "This is about jobs."

It also makes sense for the three to jointly develop environmentally friendly freight transport systems. Plans for the next generation of railways and trucks need to be integrated.

It's surely the continent rather than individual countries that need to address prevailing climate change challenges.

Blank notes that a continental Commission of Environmental Cooperation, which grew out of NAFTA and is located in Montreal, has had almost no public profile and is woefully underused.

In the realm of energy the three countries again are joined at the hip, acting as suppliers and consumers for one another.

None of this threatens the sovereignty of the three nations, Blank argues. At the end of the day voters in each country elect their own politicians and pay taxes to their respective governments. Clearer rules of engagement flowing from enhanced continental cooperation in fact enhances each nation's sovereignty.

Blank emphasizes that no master plan exists to unify North American countries and no one is considering a common currency or an EU-style governing structure. Those options would be "politically toxic."

He just wishes there were more cheerleaders for the continent.

Students are never taught about North America as a unit, observes the Philadelphia native. "There's just no sense of a continental entity, no sense of a shared vision. It's all little bits and pieces, and that is so sad."

Blank believes the Security and Prosperity Partnership -- an enterprise composed mainly of business people holding closed meetings since 2005 -- should be allowed to die, because it has become such a focus for alarmists.

Instead, North American mayors should lead the charge to promote continental co-ordination. They're best positioned to sell cooperative ventures among civic jurisdictions. Another group that should be selling continental cooperation is university chancellors and presidents.

Blank believes, following the U.S. election, Canada will have a window of opportunity to influence the U.S. to simplify and streamline Canada-U.S. border procedures.

An Obama presidency would be less likely to continue playing on American fears about national security, as George W. Bush did. The mantra "security trumps trade" might give way to a new willingness to make the border a friendlier place.

Ultimately, Blank says, Canada and the U.S. should move toward a system of perimeter security, allowing freer movement of people and goods between the two countries. He'd like to see the two countries eliminate duplication and join forces to coordinate customs inspections.

Blank doesn't foresee any renegotiation of NAFTA because, whether Barack Obama or John McCain wins the election, the current financial crisis and other pressing issues will curtail any talk about trade.

byaffe@vancouversun.com

© The Vancouver Sun 2008

      Glitz, Grits and Jets: Happy Birthday America!
     Embassy - Ottawa,Ontario,Canada
     The Canada-US bilat brain trust was also in the house, including types such as former US ambassador to Canada     and Canadian-American Business Council board ...

      Conference may be key to opening new markets
     Telegraph-Journal - Saint John,New Brunswick,Canada
     Graham will also be guest speaker at a business luncheon hosted by the Canadian
Embassy,  the Canadian-     American Business Council, and Fairfax County Economic ...

Bingaman: Defense bill resolves Canadian oil sands issue
Oil & Gas Journal, TX - 2 hours ago
... as part of a political ritual, not to increase taxes," he said during a breakfast address to the Canadian American Business Council's annual meeting. ...
 
No restrictions on oilsands: US senator
Guelph Mercury, Canada - 3 hours ago
... to see how (restrictions) could be enforced against Canadian oilsands in any case," he told a forum hosted by the Canadian American Business Council. ...
 
'Dirty' fuels law doesn't include Alberta oilsands
Vancouver Sun,  Canada - 7 hours ago
A Fleishman-Hillard opinion poll for the Canadian American Business Council suggests that Canadians are more concerned about the environmental impacts of ...
 
Cdn. oilsands not penalized by US
Times and Transcript, Canada - 7 hours ago
... to see how (restrictions) could be enforced against Canadian oilsands in any case," he told a forum hosted by the Canadian American Business Council. ...
 
Oilsands safe from US law: senator
Edmonton Journal, Canada - 7 hours ago
"Producing fuel from oilsands is not a new technology," Bingaman said Wednesday at a meeting of the Canadian American Business Council in Washington. ...
 
Cdn. oilsands not penalized by US
New Brunswick Business Journal, Canada - 7 hours ago
... to see how (restrictions) could be enforced against Canadian oilsands in any case," he told a forum hosted by the Canadian American Business Council. ...

 US senator says oilsands won't face 'dirty' fuel ban
Calgary Herald,  Canada - 7 hours ago
A Fleishman-Hillard opinion poll for the Canadian American Business Council suggests Canadians are more concerned about the environmental impacts of ...

US senator says Canada's oilsands won't be penalized by restrictions
The Canadian Press, WASHINGTON - 20 hours ago
... to see how (restrictions) could be enforced against Canadian oilsands in any case," he told a forum hosted by the Canadian American Business Council. ...
US senator says Canada's oilsands won't be penalized by ...
Oilweek Magazine, Canada - 20 hours ago
... to see how (restrictions) could be enforced against Canadian oilsands in any case," he told a forum hosted by the Canadian American Business Council. ...
 
Study highlights likes, dislikes of Alberta oil sands
Oil & Gas Journal - Houston,TX,USA
... Inc. Executives of the public relations firm released the survey results June 11 during a Canadian American Business Council meeting in Washington, DC. ...
 

US senator says Canada`s oilsands won`t be penalized by ...
And since Canadian oil is mingled with US products, it is hard to see how (restrictions) could be enforced against Canadian oilsands in any case, he told a forum hosted by the Canadian American Business Council. ...
Oilweek Online - http://www.oilweek.com

Bingaman Says Canadian Oil Sands Aren't Restricted by US Law
Bloomberg - USA
``Producing fuel from oil sands is not a new technology,'' Bingaman said today at a meeting of the Canadian American Business Council in Washington. ...

April 2008 News Clips  NAFTA, Homeland Security, Borders, North American Summit

 

Obama adviser tells Vancouver forum blacks felt loved back on election day

VANCOUVER, B.C. — Barack Obama's election meant U.S. voters not only chose a black man for the first time but finally returned the love blacks always had for their country, a political strategist and Obama supporter said Thursday.

"I think nobody really loves America more than black Americans, because black Americans loved America when America didn't love us back," keynote speaker Jamal Simmons said in a sometimes emotional speech at the 14th annual Canadian American Business Council forum.

"The relationship has been getting better for a long time and I'm not Pollyanna about race relations," said Simmons, who runs his own media consulting company and is often seen on CNN.

Simmons acknowledged that one election doesn't erase centuries of prejudice.

"But on election day, it was as if the object our long-term affection turned around and finally acknowledged that, though we have had our disagreements, like an old couple we are in this together.

"And finally, she embraced us back."

In a speech that focused mainly on the long U.S. campaign that culminated last week in Obama's election as president, Simmons said Obama's victory was treated as special around the world.

He told delegates that he first realized that Obama could be president as far back as two years ago.

And he recalled Obama's trip during the campaign to Germany, where he was greeted by about 200,000 Germans waving U.S. flags.

"It's a tremendous sight when you think about Germany's history, and it says something about where we are in the world."

While TV viewers on election night will remember the sight of Rev. Jesse Jackson with tears streaming down his face, Simmons said that while he also is black he did not cry.

He waited until the next day.

Simmons saw TV coverage of some black U.S. troops watching the election results in Iraq.

"I thought about these people who get up every morning and fight for their country. And how different they must have felt on Wednesday morning than they felt on Monday.

Now, when he sings the U.S. national anthem or recites its pledge of allegiance, Simmons says that "it's different today than it used to be."

David Wilkins, the U.S. ambassador to Canada, was among the forum participants, advising again that protectionism must be avoided in the U.S., despite the tough economic times the country faces.

"I think Canada-U.S. collaboration is more important today than it ever has been," said Wilkins, who is a strong supporter of President Bush and was appointed ambassador to Canada in 2005.

"This is no time for my country to disengage from you, our best friend and ally and trading partner, or disengage from the rest of the world.

"This is the very time we need to be partnering for solutions and not retreating into protectionism."

The allusion to not retreating into protectionism could have been in reference to reports during the U.S. presidential campaign that Obama had made protectionist references.

On the campaign trail, Obama sounded protectionist at times, even hinting that he would renegotiate NAFTA to protect industrial jobs in hard-hit parts of the U.S. industrial heartland.



 

    

 

Buy American truce elusive

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Canada deserves spot on U.S. naughty list due to lax copyright laws

U.S. envoy says 'side letters' on labour and environment may benefit NAFTA 

U.S. won't reopen NAFTA for now: ambassador 

Le Canada et les États-Unis forment une «famille»


 

IMMEDIATE RELEASE**

CABC Congratulates Jacobson on his Confirmation as U.S. Ambassador to Canada


Senate confirms Jacobson as US ambassador to Canada Canada.com
The issues are huge and the challenges complex,” said Maryscott Greenwood, executive director of the Canadian-American Business Council, a leading bilateral ...
Buy American exemption deal in the works
CBC.ca - Toronto,Ontario,Canada
According to Canadian government sources, Ottawa expects that the White House will ... said Maryscott Greenwood, of the Canadian American Business Council. ...
Buy American truce elusive

BERTRAND MAROTTE
MONTREAL — From Thursday's Globe and Mail Published on Thursday, Oct. 22, 2009 12:00AM EDT Last updated on Thursday, Oct. 22, 2009 2:37AM EDT ......Chipping away at U.S. resistance to exempting Canada from Buy American measures has become no easy task.

Buy American

US keen to resolve Buy American    Globe and Mail - Toronto,Ontario,Canada
... over protectionist Buy American policies and keen to resolve the issue, ... speech to the annual policy forum of the Canadian American Business Council. ...

Buy American truce elusive

Canada’s Day Sees ‘Buy American’ Trade Talks Soon

Canada deserves spot on U.S. naughty list due to lax copyright laws

U.S. envoy says 'side letters' on labour and environment may benefit NAFTA  


                         
Politico Article: "Canada Gets New Ambassador"


NEW PRESS RELEASE    read

Canadian American Business Council Announces Election of New Directors and Ambassadors Doer and Jacobson Serve As Honorary Co-Chairs



The Canadian American Business Council Brings Together High Level US and Canadian Officials for 2010 Annual Washington Policy Conference

Event Will Feature Remarks from Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood and US Senator Jeanne Shaheen on Obstacles to Economic Recovery and Job Growth


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