Insights into the impact on labour and supply chains, corporate governance, and more

91亚色 experts on tariffs and free trade are available to speak on all aspects of the trade war, including the history of trade negotiations, the evolution of global supply chains, the threat of recession, the effects of tariffs on consumer behaviour and more.

Canada-U.S. free trade negotiations

, associate professor of economics, was indirectly involved in the original Canada-U.S. free trade negotiations. An expert on international trade agreements, Lazar wrote a book on the Tokyo Round of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (the GATT), , in the early 1980s.

Lazar can provide historical context for why Canada originally pursued a free trade deal with the U.S., the negotiation strategies involved in brokering it, as well as the U.S. Constitution, which makes domestic legislation supreme to any international agreements where there might be a conflict, as is the case today. He is available to speak on tariffs, the economic impact the trade war could have on Canada鈥檚 economy, and the threat of recession.

Corporate governance, ethics and government aid packages

, professor in the School of Administrative Studies, is an expert in corporate governance and ethics. An award-winning educator, lawyer, consultant and author, he has guided leaders of organizations through his teaching, writing and direct consultation. Leblanc鈥檚 commentary is grounded in his extensive research and work with boards of directors and the training and development of leaders and managers.

Leblanc is available to comment on:

• Ontario Premier Doug Ford鈥檚 toolbox of potential targeted reciprocal tariffs against U.S. industries and businesses
• the possibility of aid packages by the Government of Ontario to businesses and workers, and conditions those packages should contain
• certainty of planning by Ontario businesses
• considerations for boards of directors of Ontario-based companies when responding to imposed U.S. tariffs

History of Canada-U.S. trade relations

is the Avie Bennett Historica Chair in Canadian History and a member of the history department at 91亚色. He is a specialist in Canadian political history (20th to 21st centuries). He has published numerous articles and book chapters on public policy, moral and social regulation, the wine industry in Ontario and language rights.

Martel is available to speak on tariffs and free trade, including their history, the 1879 National Policy and Canada-U.S. relations.

International business, supply chains and the auto industry

is a professor emeritus of economics and international business at the Schulich School of Business. He is engaged in research dealing with the rapid changes in manufacturing, especially in the motor vehicle industry. His areas of expertise include globalization, international business, and strategic alliances.

Wolf is available to speak on:

• trade agreements and tariffs
• international investment and business
• economic and financial crises
• evolution of global supply chains
• U.S. President Donald Trump鈥檚 reversal of Biden鈥檚 electric vehicle (EV) mandate
• Transport Canada pausing the federal EV incentive program

Consumer behaviour and marketing

, professor of marketing at Schulich, researches how markets dynamically shape human behaviour, often in the context of new technologies. He is the area editor of the Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, member of the editorial review boards for Consumption, Markets and Culture; Journal of Consumer Psychology; and Marketing Letters. Previously, he was editor of the Journal of Consumer Research, and an associate editor for the Journal of Marketing.

Giesler is available to comment on what consumers can do in light of the new tariffs, the buy Canadian movements, efforts to support local and domestic businesses, and why it is not equally possible for all consumers.

Impact on workers and union response

, associate professor of geography, is an expert in the geography of work, workers, workplaces and organized labour. His current research studies the use of strategic research as part of labour union renewal, the role of unions in urban economic development,  labour market adjustment in tourism related sectors in response to crises and climate change, and the impact of growing populism on organized labour. His research aims to better understand how workers through collective action can shape economic landscapes in ways that are more socially just and environmentally sustainable.

Tufts can comment on:聽

• the impact of tariffs on work and workers
• responses by unions to the tariffs

Globalization and the effects of populism

Daniel Drache, professor emeritus and senior scholar in the department of politics at 91亚色 and research fellow at the Robarts Centre for Canadian Studies, focuses on understanding the changing character of the globalization narrative in its economic, social and cultural dimensions. His areas of research include North American integration and the evolving role of borders as policy levers post-NAFTA, tariffs, the WTO and more. He wrote the book , explaining how and why global populism has taken root, along with co-author Mar Froese. They鈥檝e also written numerous pieces in , mapping and tracking populism in different contexts and national settings.

Drache is available to speak on:

• the international political economy and its institutions, including the WTO
• global inequality and development
• counter-publics
• NAFTA, free trade and tariffs
• economic integration and social movements

The role of the European Union

, professor of public policy and sustainability at Schulich and director of the BBA/iBBA programs, is an expert on public policy, business-government relations, and corporate social responsibility. His research examines how transnational governance arrangements address cross-border policy challenges, particularly the setting of social and environmental standards for production in global value chains. He鈥檚 investigated how national governments and businesses in Argentina, Brazil and Canada engaged with global voluntary sustainability standards in the soybean and mining sectors. His interest lies in whether novel types of transnational governance involving cross-sector collaboration can improve business conduct and how comparative public policy seeks to explain why jurisdictions differ in their policy responses when faced with similar problems or crises. His work primarily addresses the energy and environment sectors with a focus on Canada and the European Union.

Eberlein is available to comment on the role of the EU in the trade war, Canada鈥檚 potential for diversification into Europe and forging a stronger alliance with Europe in general.

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Canada鈥檚 trade and economic policies have been thrown into a state of chaos in the weeks following United States President-elect Donald Trump鈥檚 on Canadian and Mexican exports to the U.S.

The federal government is now suffering an internal crisis with of Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland. Canada鈥檚 provincial premiers, led by Ontario鈥檚 Doug Ford, have responded by emerging from a recent meeting asserting their in terms of trade and foreign policy.

Unfortunately, the provinces are too fragmented and divided among themselves to provide effective and co-ordinated responses to Trump without federal leadership.

This point was highlighted by Ford鈥檚 efforts to present a united front on behalf of his fellow provincial leaders. He found himself promptly when he threatened to cut off energy exports to the U.S. if the Trump administration followed through on its tariff threats.

Improvised and contradictory responses will do nothing but encourage Trump to continue to engage in these sorts of threats and behaviours. That point has been by members of Trump鈥檚 previous administration.

Canada now needs to use its substantial negotiating assets against Trump given his threat represents a of the United States-Mexico-Canada (USMCA) trade deal and previous trade agreements between the U.S. and Canada.

These accords were designed, from Canada鈥檚 perspective, to prevent the U.S. from engaging in precisely the sort of unilateral trade action that Trump is now threatening.

Canada鈥檚 energy advantage

Central to that understanding had been the concept that Canada would guarantee the U.S. access to its energy resources. In exchange, the Americans consented to a formal and binding dispute resolution mechanism when trade disputes arise, and agreed not to engage in unilateral trade actions.

Because to the U.S., this provides an obvious leverage point.

Canada鈥檚 position in this regard has actually been reinforced by the previous Trump administration鈥檚 actions. The original 1988 and the 1994 (NAFTA) contained provisions guaranteeing American access to Canadian energy on an equal basis with Canadian consumers.

Trump agreed to remove these provisions from the USMCA. This has handed Canada an important energy bargaining chip in dealing with a second Trump presidency.

Where Ford was right 鈥� and wrong

Ford may have had the right idea in on Canadian energy exports to the U.S. in retaliation for Trump鈥檚 tariffs. But he was too direct in his approach, and his suggestion of outright export bans was by his fellow premiers.

Ford鈥檚 idea was even impractical for his own province. Ontario鈥檚 electricity exports to the U.S. are relatively modest and essentially transactional. Trade with neighbouring states and provinces is necessary for the management of Ontario鈥檚 own electricity grid.

Specifically, there are times when Ontario electricity, sometimes at 鈥渘egative鈥� prices, meaning the province has to pay its neighbours to take electricity off its hands. This has been the case especially when the output from Ontario鈥檚 inflexible nuclear power plants exceeds the province鈥檚 grid demand and needs somewhere to go.

That said, because Trump鈥檚 threats violate the foundations that have defined the Canada-U.S. trade over the past four decades, a response in the area of energy would be justified and strategic.

But rather than imposing direct export restrictions on Canada energy exports, a smarter approach could involve the threat of on Canadian exports of energy and other resources to the U.S. Such charges would significantly increase energy and other costs for Americans.

An export charge could be applied directly by the federal government. That would bypass the objections of provincial premiers and impose some unity on Canada鈥檚 approach.

Engaging American states

Canada鈥檚 premiers would be smarter to focus on engaging with their sub-national counterparts in neighbouring states rather than conducting their own freelance diplomacy.

In particular, they should encourage the governors of Great Lakes states to emphasize to the incoming administration and congressional representatives the extent to which Trump鈥檚 proposed tariffs would do as much harm to their economies as they would to Canada鈥檚.

Ford is particularly well-positioned to engage in this sort of province-to-state diplomacy. The level of integration between Ontario鈥檚 vehicle manufacturing sector and the manufacturing economies of the now states around the Great Lakes mean that Trump鈥檚 tariffs would be enormously disruptive to their economies as well.

At the national level, Canada needs to recognize that the assumptions that have underpinned the Canada-U.S. trade relationship for the past 40 years are in the .

If Canada is to avoid simply offering itself up as a fragmented and compliant American resource colony, it needs to formulate a strategy that leverages its assets, particularly energy.

Canada also needs to strengthen . Whether Canada鈥檚 federal and provincial leaders are up to these tasks remains an open question.

Mark Winfield is a professor in the Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change, 91亚色

This article is republished from . 

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