Trudeau hails Canada-U.S. trade in video welcome to Congress

[mentalfloss]

USA!
USA!
USA!


Trudeau hails Canada-U.S. trade in video welcome to Congress

Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stressed his country's existing strong relationship with the U.S. in a welcome message to Congress amid questions about North American trade ties under the administration of Donald Trump.

Trudeau and his ambassador to Washington, David MacNaughton, issued a video congratulating and welcoming members of the incoming U.S. Congress, stressing Canada has no bigger partner than its neighbour to the south. The video, posted Dec. 30 on YouTube, was tweeted by Canada's U.S. Embassy account Tuesday.

"There is no relationship in the entire world quite like the Canada-U.S. relationship," Trudeau said in the video. "We've built an economic relationship that supports jobs in every congressional district. We're the largest international customer for goods and services made in the U.S.A."

The countries "grew up together and have overcome many shared challenges over the course of our history," he added.

Trump pledged during the campaign to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement, which Trudeau's government has offered to open talks on. Trump's Nafta protectionist streak won a victory Tuesday as Ford Motor Co. backed off a planed Mexico expansion, shortly after Trump criticized General Motors Co. for producing a version of a vehicle in Mexico.

Trudeau – a pro-trade and pro-immigration leader – has largely avoided direct criticisms of Trump before and after the U.S. election, pledging to work with whomever is in the White House.

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[taxslave]

How long will it take him to fuk that up too?

 

[mentalfloss]

Sure Trump hasn't even been inaugurated yet and he's already done a bunch of horrible **** but don't let that get you down.

 

[mentalfloss]

If Trump closes the door on Mexico, Canada can thrive by keeping it open: Don Pittis - Business - CBC News

 

[davesmom]

I can picture Congressmen saying, 'Canada? Where the hell is THAT?'
If Trudeau ever gets to talk to Trump there will be big time disagreement on Immigration policy.

 

[Cannuck]

I can picture Congressmen saying, 'Canada? Where the hell is THAT?'

Yes, Americans do tend to be stupid. This forum has plenty of evidence of that

 

[Dirt]

I can picture Congressmen saying, 'Canada? Where the hell is THAT?'
If Trudeau ever gets to talk to Trump there will be big time disagreement on Immigration policy.

I doubt that, we don't have many Mexicans that work for nothing. Pipelines and Lumber will be the issue.

 

[TenPenny]

I can picture Congressmen saying, 'Canada? Where the hell is THAT?'
If Trudeau ever gets to talk to Trump there will be big time disagreement on Immigration policy.

Probably, because Canada has immigration laws and enforces them. The US isn't allowed to enforce their immigration laws.

 

[mentalfloss]

I can picture Congressmen saying, 'Canada? Where the hell is THAT?'

Yes, Americans are stup-- oh, we've already covered that one?


Oh, okay.

 

[tay]

Prime Minister Trudeau spoke to packed room of around 1,200 energy executives and other leaders on Thursday night and completely charmed them. They clapped when he spoke in French, when he mentioned pipeline approvals, even when he talked about putting a price on carbon – albeit less loudly on that last point.

Trudeau got multiple standing ovations. From an oil patch crowd. In Texas.

The moderator, oil patch scholar Daniel Yergin, declared the whole crowd of 60 nationalities to be symbolical Canadians for the night at the conclusion of a question-and-answer session Trudeau participated in following his speech.

Trudeau's other goal was to remind the Americans in the audience that Canada is a key trade partner of Texas in particular and the U.S. in general. Texan exports to Canada were worth nearly $20 billion annually, imports from Canada about $15 billion.

Trudeau pointed out that amounts to 460,000 jobs. Good Texan jobs, as he put it.

Canada is worried about a border-adjustment tax, which could levy an fee on Canadian products and resources crossing the border. The possible tax was talked about cautiously by many energy companies over the course of the conference.

Canada is opposed, naturally, and Trudeau took aim at it in the Q&A session, using the example of auto parts moving across the border multiple times before ending up in a vehicle and the logistical nightmare that would be involved in charging a tax each time a part crossed the border one way or the other.

In a news conference earlier on Thursday, Carr spoke about his meetings in Houston. In response to question about the border tax, he outlined the strategy that Canada has taken.

"We're not always top of mind, but when we have an opportunity to explain Canada's position, we always have to do it in the joint interest and not only in Canada's national interest."

CERAWeek is a conference that brings together many the most powerful people in the global energy sector, an industry that is very influential in the United States right now. Canada had the opportunity to be top of mind for a day in Houston and Trudeau made the most of it.

Trudeau speaks to the heart of Texans in pitch for Canadian oil - Business - CBC News