Harper in China for Big Business

   Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper is visiting China. He is not alone. Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver is with him and also the Foreign Affairs Minister and Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz. The delegation will be in China from Feb. 8 to 11.
   Politicians are not the only members of the delegation. Big Business is well represented especially in the oil and gas area where there representatives from eight different companies. But other sectors are also represented with Air Canada, Bombardier, Manulife, and Scotiabank representatives in the group as well.
    Not long ago Chinese investment in Canada could be measured in the millions. Now it is about 20 billion. Harper is wisely enough trying to diversity his market for Canadian oil and gas. Now most exports are to the U.S. The Chinese for their part are eager to find sources of energy supplies for their fast growing economy.
     The NDP, the official opposition party, is not opposed to trade but thinks that Harper should  bring up the human rights situation in China. No doubt Harper will do so and he is expected to bring up Syria as an issue as well. Harper is staunchly anti-communist. His big business supporters are interested in profits not ideology or even human rights except in terms of public relations for the most part. The reality will be not only business as usual but a growing trade between China and Canada. For more see this article. China may loan us a couple of Panda bears.



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Canada signs free trade deal with Panama

Harper should be comfortable with the business oriented president who will no doubt turn out to be an ally of the U.S. and is less critical of the coup in Honduras than many other Latin American countries. That being said Harper seems to be expanding economic links worldwide and this is a positive development that will make our economic growth somewhat less dependent on the U.S. economy. Harper also is expanding our trade relationships with China.




Canada to reveal trade deal with Panama
TheStar.com - Canada - Canada to reveal trade deal with Panama
August 11, 2009 Les WhittingtonOttawa Bureau
PANAMA – Prime Minister Stephen Harper is in Panama today to announce a free-trade agreement with the Central American nation.
Harper met on Tuesday with Panama President Ricardo Martinelli, the recently elected conservative supermarket tycoon whose rise to power in Panama reversed the trend toward left-wing governments in Latin America.
Signing a trade liberalization deal with Panama is part of the Harper government's goal of expanding economic links in Latin America. Canada also plans trade pacts with the European Union, India, South Korea, and a number of countries in the Americas.
Panama's economy grew at a rate of 9.2 per cent in 2008.
Canadian merchandise exports to Panama were only $128 million last year, but increased by 48 per cent from the previous year.
The deal has to be approved by Parliament.
Once enacted, it would immediately eliminate more than 90 per cent of tariffs on Canadian exports like potatoes and other agricultural exports, and high-tech machinery like flight simulators.
Other tariffs would be eliminated within 10 years.
Canada exported over six times more merchandise than it imported from Panama last year.
Harper returns to Canada tonight.