David Frum speaks to Winnipeg business leaders about U.S. trade strategies

Renowned political analyst David Frum was in Winnipeg Friday to speak to business leaders, providing insight about how Canada should move forward, navigating trade relations with the United States.

Frum spoke to a crowd of over 100. The need for a plan B, which includes a more focused export tax on certain items the U.S. can’t get elsewhere, like potash, electricity, nickel, and wheat, as opposed to widespread retaliatory tariffs.

“Tax them, the Americans have to pay more, not the Canadians. It does hurt the Canadian exporter; this is not a pain-free solution, but it’s a more rational and focused kind of pain in the context of a completely unnecessary and stupid quarrel that should have never happened in the first place,” explained Frum.

Frum also spoke of the need to have a more united trade retaliation front in Western Canada. Which could include an appointed representative for the western region in Ottawa.

“The risk is that the voice of the region becomes the premiers and the provinces and they inevitably have their own political cycles and their own agendas, and they aren’t present in ottawa, and they cant do that daily give and take that is how a political system works when its at its best,” said Frum.

As far as how Winnipeg business leaders can do their part, Frum says opening dialogue with American counterparts can go a long way.

“They don’t understand really what their government is doing and how unnecessary and pointless this is. So just tell them, say you know what, we’re all paying more for this, I have to employ fewer people, I’m buying less from you, I have to raise my prices to you. You can’t like this any better than I do, tell your congressmen about it,” said Frum.

Loren Remillard, the president and CEO of the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce, saying, ”They’re all sharing the same concerns. They recognize, they see firsthand the benefits of North American free trade.  We’ve all built our prosperity in all three countries based on the free movement of people and goods across borders, so they’re concerned.”