Softwood feud may threaten trade (US - Canada)

[CHIMO]

Provincial leaders say the U.S. government's refusal to comply with a NAFTA ruling that would have ended punitive duties on Canadian softwood lumber harms the entire trading relationship between the two countries.

“This last ruling brings us to a tipping point,” Quebec Premier Jean Charest told reporters in Banff yesterday, at the conclusion of an annual gathering of premiers.

Mr. Charest and British Columbia Premier Gordon Campbell said the dispute is no longer just over softwood lumber but Canada's relationship with its largest trading partner.

Meanwhile, former Liberal cabinet minister Herb Dhaliwal called on Ottawa yesterday to slap a surtax on natural gas exports to the United States, saying it is the only way to force the Americans to refund the $5-billion.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20050812.wxpremiers13/BNStory/National/

[tuvor]

1. If bush don't like it, he should let us know.

Oh, wait, that'd be an honest thing to do.

[ConcernedCanuk]

2. Ok - enuf - I hear there's a booming economy in China

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.
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I suggest we aggressively Market EVERYTHING elsewhere

Enuf is enuf with our bullying neighbours who just declare any decision/organization irrelevant if they don't like their decision.

We better NOT indulge any thots of selling water from our North, such as a viaduct from James Bay thru Manitoba that has been on the table for decades.

Time for ALL of us Canuks to vigorously monitor what our government is selling to the USS of A and make sure they do not over commit as they have already done with gas, oil and electricity.

I hope that the upcoming renewal of such contracts gets rejected. Let's tighten the belt, and market elsewhere

From the posted article:
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The premiers lashed out at the United States one day after meeting with David Wilkins, U.S. ambassador to Canada, in Banff. However, they stopped short of threatening to retaliate against the United States by cutting off trade in other areas, including oil and gas.
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I say DON'T stop short there . .

enough is enough, and it should be apparent that the USSA will just keep on taking and taking . .

I sure hope we keep them out of our AirSpace too

Never thot I'd see the day when I figure the only thing stopping the USSA from over running Canada would be Russia and China

But that's how I see it now . .

But I's jus a dumm Canuk

whadda I know . .

[1monster]

3. So who kept the $5,000,000,000 that Canada wants back? The citizens of

the US? I don't think so. I rather gather that those who purchased Canadian softwood are the ones who PAID the $5billion, not received it. It would be the Bush Administration who kept the money; probably to help pay Halliburton.

Ergo, if the Canadians do impose a surcharge on natural gas, guess who will be paying once again. Yep. The people who buy Canada's natural gas.

We get screwed coming and going. That $5 billion should be refunded to the people who paid it. Not the Canadian government.

Meanwhile, former Liberal cabinet minister Herb Dhaliwal called on Ottawa yesterday to slap a surtax on natural gas exports to the United States, saying it is the only way to force the Americans to refund the $5-billion.

“You have got to play hardball with the Americans,” said Mr. Dhaliwal, a former British Columbia MP who advocated using energy as leverage in the dispute when he was in cabinet.

“Otherwise we are just going to get bullied by them.” With a report from Steven Chase in Ottawa

[K-W]

4. The protectionist Bush administration abhors free trade. EOM

[Mizmoon]

5. Marc Emery

why is the canadian government cooperating with the arrest of marc emery if relations are so bad, I wonder.

Emery has been selling cannabis seeds since 1994 and paying taxes to the Canadian government AND telling them that it's seed revenue. Suddenly the mounties are cooperating with the DEA and threatening to extradite him to the USA to face life in prison.