steveintoronto
Superstar
Trump aside, the general exemptions for Canada under the present "Buy America waivers" have already expired. We don't even need to talk hypotheticals. So who is Bombardier going to sell the Kingston produced LRVs to beside domestically? There are a number of US manufacturers at this time.
Canada is also in abrogation of procurement provisions under Nafta. Lots on-line if you really want to go there. Ontario, for instance, is in violation with the Green Energy Act, but I digress...lots of Cdn government and Crown Corporations are. But of course, that doesn't get mentioned much in the Cdn press.
Meantime, you might wish to read these links:
http://tradecommissioner.gc.ca/sell...rement-marches/agreement-accord.aspx?lang=eng
www.cba.org/cba/cle/PDF/constr10_swick_paper.pdf
https://www.transit.dot.gov/regulations-and-guidance/buy-america/notices-buy-america-waivers
Canada is also in abrogation of procurement provisions under Nafta. Lots on-line if you really want to go there. Ontario, for instance, is in violation with the Green Energy Act, but I digress...lots of Cdn government and Crown Corporations are. But of course, that doesn't get mentioned much in the Cdn press.
Meantime, you might wish to read these links:
http://www.publicvalues.ca/ViewArticle.cfm?Ref=001004Canada being sued for NAFTA violation by private American wind energy company
Local procurement rules in Ontario Green Energy Act threatened.
https://www.quora.com/To-what-degre...break-international-trade-treaties-like-NAFTATrump would have broad power to circumvent existing treaties and implement new tariffs.
Under the 1974 Trade Act, Presidents can take unilateral trade actions using any number of excuses including "terrorism, pollution, cybersecurity, consumer safety, labor rights, etc." [1] [2] [3]
Congress could try to overturn these unilateral actions, but that doesn't happen often.
President Reagan used these powers right after he became President, restraining imports of Japanese cars, electronics, memory chips, and Canadian lumber, among other things. [4] [5] [6]
Trump could argue that Mexico was not protecting the U.S. from terrorism and that terrorists were trying to smuggle weapons via Mexican imports. That alone would be an excuse to get rid of Nafta "temporarily" and impose tariffs on Mexican imports.
He could argue that Mexican factories didn't have adequate pollution controls and that tariffs were necessary for that reason.
He could argue that Mexican labor rights were horrid and that a compensatory tariff on all Mexican imports was needed.
He could argue that some Mexican goods were unsafe and as such, Mexican goods should face a tariff "until we can figure out what is going on."
He could argue all of the above.
If Congress became concerned that Trump would start trade wars, they could modify the 1974 Trade Act before he became President, but it's not clear that any such attempt would succeed.
Footnotes
[1] Can Trump Start a Trade War?
[2] Trade Act of 1974
[3] Trade Act of 1974
[4] The Reagan Record On Trade: Rhetoric Vs. Reality
[5] Can Trump Start a Trade War?
[6] What would Trump's trade policy look like in action? - AEI
http://tradecommissioner.gc.ca/sell...rement-marches/agreement-accord.aspx?lang=eng
www.cba.org/cba/cle/PDF/constr10_swick_paper.pdf
https://www.transit.dot.gov/regulations-and-guidance/buy-america/notices-buy-america-waivers
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