The United States Trade Representative’s office released this year’s National Trade Estimate Report on Foreign Trade Barriers.
The nearly 400-page National Trade Estimate Report lists in almost encyclopedic detail all of the tariff and non-tariff barriers present in countries that import U.S. goods and services.
While the report is a catch-all of trade irritants compiled by USTR officials each year and does not necessarily reflect the priorities of U.S. President Donald Trump, it still prompted a strong response in Canada on Tuesday, particularly because it included as a trade barrier Quebec’s Bill 96 which requires the use of French in certain situations.
Political leaders in Canada have begun their predictable arguing about the sanctity of the French language…supply management…culture and what would be on or off the table in a negotiation and who would be the most effective at negotiating with the Trump administration on the issue.
The real debate, however, begins tomorrow when Trump will make his long threatened tariff announcements. My guess is that while the announcement aimed at Canada will include some or all of the NTE Report’s tariff and non-tariff barriers, the real pain will be blamed on other things…GST, Canada being generally “nasty” etc. It will make no sense, but there we are.
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