U.S. and Canadian Officials Discuss Trade Issues at Great Lakes Economic Forum
The event provides an opportunity to hold discussions to make it easier for the two countries to trade.
Trade delegations from the U.S. and Canada traveled to Detroit and Windsor this week for the Great Lakes Economic Forum.
The event provided an opportunity to hold discussions geared toward making trade between the two countries easier to carry out.
The meetings were taking place just as the U.S. imposed a major tariff on Canadian lumber imports.
Scott Brison is the President of the Treasury Board of Canada. He’s also a Member of Parliament from Nova Scotia. His U.S. counterpart is Mick Mulvaney, Director of the Office of Management and Budget.
Brison says the U.S. and Canada are examining several important trade issue including drug regulations.
“Right now, the U.S. government is working with the E.U. to move towards common standards around drug manufacturing,” says Brison.
“At the same time, the Canadian government is working with the E.U. to move towards common standards around drug manufacturing.”
So, Brison adds, figuring out the next step should be elementary.
“It seems logical that we ought to be doing the same thing between us,” says Brison.
The head of the Treasury Board says sometimes countries get distracted by trade irritants or minor issues that take away from the goal of regulatory cooperation.
He says that’s the case in the dispute between the two countries over softwood lumber.
Brison says, “Part of the challenge on both sides of the border is recognizing sometimes we’re going to disagree.”
