WASHINGTON — There’s a four-letter F-word American leaders don’t much use these days when they talk about international trade: “free.”
Instead, President Joe Biden’s newest economic relationships in the Americas and the Indo-Pacific are described as “partnerships” and “frameworks” — an illustration of how politically toxic free trade has become in the U.S.
The latest is the Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity, which Biden announced last week as he kicked off the Summit of the Americas, where leaders from 21 countries across the Western Hemisphere gathered, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
It was seen by some as a consolation prize of sorts following Biden’s unveiling in May of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity, with some heavy hitters among its 13 founding partners, including India, Japan and Australia — together totalling some 40 per cent of global GDP.
Its architects have gone to some lengths to point out that it’s not a free trade deal, but rather a potential foundation for future agreements.
“The fact that this is not a traditional free trade agreement is a feature of IPEF, not a bug,” National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said when the framework was unveiled last month.
“The new landscape and the new challenges we face need a new approach, and we will shape the substance of this effort together with our partners.”
Though the administration won’t say so, that new approach includes framing agreements as non-trade related, to avoid the politically difficult hurdle of requiring congressional approval.
The IPEF is the U.S. answer to the 11-country Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal, or CPTPP, which includes Canada and which former president Donald Trump abandoned back in 2017.
Business advocates in Canada say the federal government should be aggressively trying to secure membership in the Indo-Pacific framework, which represents the U.S. economic strategy in the Asia-Pacific.
Its members also include Brunei, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam — and now Fiji, which was added shortly after the original announcement.
“When Fiji can complain and be added in 24 hours, there’s no reason” the federal government couldn’t do the same, said Goldy Hyder, president and CEO of the Business Council of Canada.
“These are not either-or; it’s not like, ‘You’re part of TPP and you’re not part of this.’ This is something coming together, and these frameworks are America’s response to wanting to stay away from trade agreements, clearly. So it’s best to be in the room than on the outside looking in.”
As the Summit of the Americas wrapped up last week, Trudeau — whose own liberal use of free trade rhetoric reflects a different political reality in Canada — would not expressly say whether those efforts are underway.
“Canada is the only G7 country that has free trade deals with every other G7 country; we have extensive free trade deals with Central and South America, (and) we have extensive deals with Asia through the CPTPP,” he said.
Having chosen to exit that latter agreement, the U.S. clearly has to negotiate new partnerships with countries in the Asia-Pacific, he said, adding that Canada is in “full discussions” with the U.S. about the Americas partnership.
“But those conversations about how we work together — how we strengthen institutions, how we deepen trade ties, how we support each other through greater resilience in our communities, in our countries — that has been at the heart of the hard work done through the summit, and will continue to be.”
Mark Agnew, vice-president of policy for the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, sounded skeptical Tuesday about the prospects of the Americas partnership bearing much in the way of fruit.
“I really get the sense that the Indo-Pacific framework just has more meat on the bones, frankly, in terms of what’s in there … things that have a bit of crunchiness to them,” Agnew said.
The White House vision for IPEF includes “high-standard rules of the road” for the digital economy, including on the flow of data across borders, e-commerce standards and concerns about online privacy, he noted — all issues that are top of mind for Canadian businesses.
“Canada has to be looking at both regions,” Agnew said. “But when I look at which one holds more potential for Canada and Canadian interests, the Indo-Pacific one is where I think there’s more there for Canada to focus on.”
Both frameworks reflect a concerted effort on the Biden administration’s part to inject progressive, labour-friendly values into the international trade landscape, and to counter the grassroots, working-class disdain for globalization.
Those values — and the growing political urgency for Democrats, who face challenging midterms in November — were on clear display Tuesday when Biden spoke to more than 2,000 labour leaders and union members at the AFL-CIO convention in Philadelphia.
“We need an economy built from the middle out and the bottom up, not the top down,” said Biden, who was introduced as “the most pro-union president in the history of the United States.”
“When the middle class does well, everybody does — the wealthy do very well, they’re never hurt. But I also know too often we’ve had an economy where the wealthy do better and better while the middle class gets left behind.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 15, 2022.
James McCarten, The Canadian Press
PORT ALBERNI, B.C. – RCMP say the body of a second person has been found inside their vehicle after a road washed away amid pouring rain on the west coast of Vancouver Island.
Police say two vehicles went into the Sarita River when Bamfield Road washed out on Saturday as an atmospheric river hammered southern B.C.
The body of the other driver was found Sunday.
More coming.
The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
The B.C. Greens say Sonia Furstenau will be staying on as party leader, despite losing her seat in the legislature in Saturday’s provincial election.
The party says in a statement that its two newly elected MLAs, Jeremy Valeriote and Rob Botterell, support Furstenau’s leadership as they “navigate the prospect of having the balance of power in the legislature.”
Neither the NDP led by Premier David Eby nor the B.C. Conservatives led by John Rustad secured a majority in the election, with two recounts set to take place from Oct. 26 to 28.
Eby says in a news conference that while the election outcome is uncertain, it’s “very likely” that the NDP would need the support of others to pass legislation.
He says he reached out to Furstenau on election night to congratulate her on the Greens’ showing.
But he says the Green party has told the NDP they are “not ready yet” for a conversation about a minority government deal.
The Conservatives went from taking less than two per cent of the vote in 2020 to being elected or leading in 45 ridings, two short of a majority and only one behind the NDP.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 22, 2024.
The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
Toronto FC captain Jonathan Osorio is making a difference, 4,175 kilometres away from home.
The 32-year-old Canadian international midfielder, whose parents hail from Colombia, has been working with the Canadian Colombian Children’s Organization, a charity whose goal is to help disadvantaged youth in the South American country.
Osorio has worked behind the scenes, with no fanfare.
Until now, with his benevolence resulting in becoming Toronto FC’s nominee for the Audi Goals Drive Progress Impact Award, which honours an MLS player “who showed outstanding dedication to charitable efforts and serving the community” during the 2024 season.”
Other nominees include Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder Sebastian Berhalter and CF Montreal goalkeeper Jonathan Sirois.
The winner will be announced in late November.
The Canadian Colombian Children’s Organization (CCCO) is run entirely by volunteers like Monica Figueredo and Claudia Soler. Founded in 1991, it received charitable status in 2005.
The charity currently has four projects on the go: two in Medellin and one each in Armenia and Barranquilla.
They include a school, a home for young girls whose parents are addicted to drugs, after-school and weekend programs for children in a disadvantaged neighbourhood, and nutrition and education help for underprivileged youth.
The organization heard about Osorio and was put in contact with him via an intermediary, which led to a lunch meeting. Osorio did his due diligence and soon got back to the charity with his decision.
“It was something that I wanted to be a part of right away,” said Osorio, whose lone regret is that he didn’t get involved sooner.
“I’m fortunate now that to help more now that I could have back then,” he added. “The timing actually worked out for everybody. For the last three years I have donated to their cause and we’ve built a couple of (football) fields in different cities over there in the schools.”
His father visited one of the sites in Armenia close to his hometown.
“He said it was amazing, the kids, how grateful they are to be able to play on any pitch, really,” said Osorio. “But to be playing on a new pitch, they’re just so grateful and so humble.
“It really makes it worth it being part of this organization.”
The collaboration has also made Osorio take stock.
“We’re very fortunate here in Canada, I think, for the most part. Kids get to go to school and have a roof over their head and things like that. In Colombia, it’s not really the same case. My father and his family grew up in tough conditions, so giving back is like giving back to my father.”
Osorio’s help has been a godsend to the charity.
“We were so surprised with how willing he was,” said Soler.
The TFC skipper has helped pay for a football field in Armenia as well as an ambitious sports complex under construction in Barranquilla.
“It’s been great for them,” Figueredo said of the pitch in Armenia. “Because when they go to school, now they have a proper place to train.”
Osorio has also sent videos encouraging the kids to stay active — as well as shipping soccer balls and signed jerseys their way.
“They know more about Jonathan than the other players in Colombia,” Figueredo said. “That’s the funny part. Even though he’s far away, they’ve connected with him.”
“They feel that they have a future, that they can do more,” she added. “Seeing that was really, really great.”
The kids also followed Osorio through the 2022 World Cup and this summer’s Copa America.
Back home, Osorio has also attended the charity’s annual golf tournament, helping raise funds.
A Toronto native, he has long donated four tickets for every TFC home game to the Hospital for Sick Children.
Vancouver’s Berhalter was nominated for his involvement in the Whitecaps’ partnership with B.C. Children’s Hospital while Montreal’s Sirois was chosen for his work with the Montreal Impact Foundation.
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 21, 2024.
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