Discover Yahoo! With Your Friends

Explore news, videos, and much more based on what your friends are reading and watching. Publish your own activity and retain full control.

To get started, first

YOUR FRIENDS' ACTIVITY

    Canada Politics

    Why is Canada hesitating on a free-trade deal with China?

    By Andy Radia | Canada Politics – Fri, 10 Feb, 2012

    It seems China wants it more than Canada.

    On Thursday, China's political leaders said they're interested in exploring the feasibility of a full free-trade agreement.

    But according to PostMedia News, Canadian officials, accompanying Stephen Harper on his trip to the middle kingdom, were quick to nix the idea - at least for now.

    "Let's not get ahead of ourselves here," international trade minister Ed Fast told reporters.

    "We've achieved a milestone, which is a foreign investment protection-promotion agreement, which really puts our investments on a firm footing."

    But isn't gaining market access to a country of almost 1.4 billion people something we should be actively pursuing?

    Last January, Eddie Goldenberg, former Chrétien chief of staff, and John Weekes, Canada's chief negotiator on NAFTA, penned a column for the Globe and Mail arguing Canada must negotiate a free-trade deal with China now or get left behind.

    "The case for building a closer economic relationship with China for the long-term economic advantage of both partners is overwhelming," they wrote.

    "Time is not on our side. New Zealand, Chile and the ASEAN countries have negotiated free-trade agreements with China, and Australia is currently negotiating one. Canada cannot afford to wait until everyone else has a deal. Bold political leadership is needed in both countries to work toward that objective."

    David Emerson, Harper's former trade and foreign minister, told the National Post he'd love to see a free-trade deal struck with China.

    "You can't sell stuff in Canada and be globally competitive. You have to open up markets and we don't have any trade agreements in Asia," he said.

    "We need to have a more aggressive, collaborative relationship with China."

    In less than six years, the Harper government has concluded free trade agreements with nine countries—Colombia, Honduras, Jordan, Panama, Peru and the European Free Trade Association states of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.

    Canada has also launched negotiations on a number of trade agreements, including with India and the European Union, two of the largest markets in the world.

    Even in South America, despite criticism, Harper chose economic gain over human rights in signing trade deals with countries that have dubious records.

    Why would China be any different?

    What do you feel about this article?

    Continue reading →">
    Loading...
     

    54 comments

    • Craigs
      Craigs  •  Squamish, British Columbia  •  3 months ago
      Just a minute ... we have all the forests we would ever need to build houses, we have all the oil we would ever need to heat those homes, we have clean water, we have LOTS of hydroelectric energy, we have Uranium, we have oceans and we have an enormous bread basket to feed ourselves and our cattle. Tell me, why do we need the Chinese? Just what are they going to do for us?
      • jims_bb
        jims_bb 3 months ago
        That makes TOO much sense. We have everything, yet we have nothing. Somebody ripped us off. Our good jobs are disappearing, consumer goods are becoming junk goods, and now we compete w. world market prices for our own energy and resources to become desperate like the rest. Somebody ripped us off.
      • Gretzky99
        Gretzky99 3 months ago
        There are countless products manufactured there that could be manufactured here, but the cost of Canadian labour is prohibitive. Until the cost of labour reaches more parity, it simply doesn't make sense to manufacture goods here.
      • Yuhoo
        Yuhoo 3 months ago
        Somebody rip you off?

        That is because you go cross border shopping buying those Chinese made products OR you are buying those Chinese made products from American retailers operating in Canada.
    • John
      John  •  3 months ago
      When Mulroney signed the Free Trade with US in 1989 thousands of jobs mostly in manufacturing vanished over night and Canada headed into a recession shortly after. Dealing a free trade with a nation of 1.4 billion is head scratching.What's Canada gaining from this?
      • jims_bb
        jims_bb 3 months ago
        Panda's and Wal Mart wages.
      • lamare01
        lamare01 3 months ago
        Canada didn't went into recession after signing the Free trade deal... it was the Reaganomics that did it... but the free trade was a unilateral deal when Canada was in a weak position... and got sold out cheap : that yes.
        1.4 billion demand... ask them to invest in extracting, and processing investments in Canada...it is cheaper to transport refined products than raw products.
        That would be a 1st step in creating Canadian jobs... and it makes economic sense to China as well... win-win.
        Having semi finished or refined product... productions capabilities... finish products production capabilities could take hold in Canada ...creating further job creation capabilities...down the line.
        Trudeau understood that much from the 60's to the beginning of the 80's... but doing it through Government sponsored interventions... that the Blues choped down... after heavy public investments ( collectively ours ) to be had ...for peanuts by the Private sectors ( mainly from US ).
        We are left with the cost of development as a national debt, (public) and they (private) rip the profits with basically very little cost of development. They became trillionaires over night...spending peanuts.
        Sold out for how many millions brownies ? when we paid and are still paying for the cost of development ? ... better understand the mechanics of it, because this might be repeated again, and over with our properties... if you let the crooks have their ways... and Blue has been much bigger than the red.
        A crook is still a crook mind you... but one that I can manage is better than the one that want to totally control me !
        The basic question is how much stays in my pocket with the 1st type of crooks versus how much is being taken away with the 2d... as a NET ...result !
        One is still in the black... and the other is deep in the red (for lack of better word).
      • Gretzky99
        Gretzky99 3 months ago
        Access to 1.4 billion people is the answer to your question. Helllllllllloooooo McFly, anybody in there!
    • jims_bb
      jims_bb  •  3 months ago
      PM Harper: Canadians need a BALANCED Trade deal not FREE Trade. Exports = Imports. Get it? Do something about the increasing trade deficit which is obscene instead of selling our resources and technology wholesale. Thank You.
    • Sherwin
      Sherwin  •  Port Coquitlam, British Columbia  •  3 months ago
      Gee, why are we hesitating to have free trade with a low wage, communist country?
      • jims_bb
        jims_bb 3 months ago
        We might get their low, low wages in exchange! What a deal.
      • John
        John 3 months ago
        Once nurtured and groomed we become one.
      • james
        james 3 months ago
        Assimilated.
    • Linda
      Linda  •  3 months ago
      Really don't understand what benefit free-trade with China would give us? We already have all the cheap goods they manufacture and wouldn't free trade make them even cheaper - making our goods even more expensive for us. China would certainly be the winner - oil, gas, patents, timber.......
      • Ricardo
        Ricardo 3 months ago
        Linda, grab a dictionary and look up the word free trade, better yet sign up for an into to economics course then come back a post.
      • Ecostudent
        Ecostudent 3 months ago
        Yeah Linda. Listen to professor 'Nobody' Ricardo. He is a world renowned Economist. Oh wait, that's NOT true! He is a NOBODY! My fault! LOL
      • David
        David 3 months ago
        You know who is an economist? Stephen Harper. He has a masters degree. Look it up.
    • checkmate
      checkmate  •  3 months ago
      I refuse to buy anything made in China. Haven't done so in years. Makes shopping a little difficult, but worth it. The quality and workmanship is better when made in Canada, Europe, the United States.
      • Gretzky99
        Gretzky99 3 months ago
        There's a reason why you're called 'RUSTY'... it matches you're opinion. Time to embrace NEW and CHANGE and ADAPT.
      • Yuhoo
        Yuhoo 3 months ago
        Not buying anything made in China?
        How do you post your comments here?
      • Ricardo
        Ricardo 3 months ago
        That computer, iPad, iPod, etc or whatever you use to access Yahoo is made in China or has components made in China. You can't avoid it unless you go out to your workshop and make it yourself. Good luck as the tools you use were probably also made in China.
    • dilligaf_in_...
      dilligaf_in_...  •  Hamilton, Ontario  •  3 months ago
      No free trade with China! How do you compete with a country that pays its workers in rice? All China requires from Canada is our resources and they will buy those from us free trade deal or not.
    • scott
      scott  •  3 months ago
      Maybe because the free trade deal with the states turned out to be AWESOME !?!?!?
    • Richard C.
      Richard C.  •  Ottawa, Ontario  •  3 months ago
      Canadians were not prepared for the North American free trade deal; Canadian industry was stupid as far as trade policy; companies right and left got wiped out. China having 1.5 billion people would economically wipe out the rest of Canadian industry; leaving the jobs in local shoppong malls.
    • g d
      g d  •  Moncton, New Brunswick  •  3 months ago
      The Chinese manipulate their currency to keep it low so they have a trade advantage built in even before considering all the other things like labor cost. As it is now the Chinese ship $42 billion worth of imports to Canada and Canada ships $10 billion in exports to them. Free trade wouldn't make them buy more oil either. They will buy oil based on availability and price like they always have.
    • FlowerGirl
      FlowerGirl  •  3 months ago
      NO FULL TRADE AGREEMENT WITH CHINA......................
    • Just M
      Just M  •  Guelph, Ontario  •  3 months ago
      Only stupid people think in that direction. The free trade with China, is identical with hanging us with our own hands. I feel sorry for USA but now they have to live with their own and biggest mistake ever made. We are not in the position to loose ground without a free trade with the biggest destroyer of the world"s economy. People, stay away from any deal with them, we have enough of their garbage products as we speak. If they really want to invest in us, then invite them to come in Canada with the huge amounts of money they have now from all of us, and they freely can open companies here and in the same time, to sell their products here. If not, not to worry, we always survived in the past with adversities and we will be well now too without this griddy giant called China. We have enough resources and that scares China the most. They do not like to depend on anybody. They will depend on us in one day but only if we do not make mistakes with them now, I know, the rich people wants this so they can show us their back whille we will loose most of our high paid jobs. Thanks but no thaks China!
    • j
      j  •  3 months ago
      STUPID! Just like the american deal...there is NO FREE TRADE! all sanctions, duties, extra charges etc.... wake up media there is no free trade
    • burntcore1
      burntcore1  •  3 months ago
      Do people honestly think Canada will come out ahead in a FREE trade deal with China. 1.4 Billion people vs 34 Million. We'll lose like were still losing everyday with NAFTA.
    • oak_conkers
      oak_conkers  •  3 months ago
      Maybe, just maybe the cretins running this country have woken up at long last, they have figured out that all the manufacturing that has gone the way of the Do-Do is not because of pixies and the tooth fairy but because of the incompitence of several governments to protect jobs in this country, its decades too late however and we will continue to be nothing more than a big open pit mine for cheap labour countries.Can anyone tell me what has benefited this country with free trade?, my own town 30yrs ago was full of factories and manufacturing, now its a shadow of its former self, however we do have lots of part time work, minimum wage, zero benefits, no pensions and a 10% unemployment rate, Barrie Ontario, thats all folks.
    • Homam
      Homam  •  Ottawa, Ontario  •  3 months ago
      Free trade only works among homogeneous (i.e. similar in attitude and aptitude) markets. Significant differences in the prices of production factors, e.g. labour, will invariably produce shocks. Specialization and efficiency arising from more trade can come at the cost of economic diversity -- a notion experts don`t often think about, yet is very important to reduce gap between rich and poor and thus promote a stable, healthy and wealthy society.
    • weedeedledee
      weedeedledee  •  3 months ago
      I think the fact that they unfairly devalue their currency which amounts to cheating would give any shrewd leader cold feet.
    • Mark
      Mark  •  3 months ago
      I see it this way., China is like a huge blood sucking mosquito sucking up raw materials, we send our jobs, our resources and will be pressured for more and more, and soon we will not be able to say enough already. We will be in a political trap., forced to receive their garbage products and our land will be destroyed in order to supply them. Do not dance with the red dragon! you will get burnt!
    • The
      The  •  3 months ago
      NO FREE TRADE WITH CHINA !!! WE DO NOT WANT THEIR CRAP PRODUCTS !!!
    • Time_out
      Time_out  •  Burlington, Ontario  •  3 months ago
      Free Trade...what exactly is it. Does it mean prices will go down in Canada? Does it mean we can bring things across a border without paying duty? Does it mean Canadian companies will have to compete on the World Stage for contracts instead of crying about our strong dollar? It would be wonderful if the answer was yes, but unfortunately the only break we can expect is in our legs as we limp to join the welfare line. High taxes and high Government spending is the name of the game....someone pour me a drink.
     Post a comment

    Blog Authors / Profiles

    Blogs