It won’t be business as usual for Canadians by the time NAFTA talks are concluded sometime next spring.
Negotiations kick off next month, and on the table at the outset will be a drastic change to dairy imports, along with the availability of U.S. wines in a protected Canadian market.
The U.S. is also looking for freer trade for American online purchases that now see a ridiculous $20 cap on imports before tariffs are applied; it’s looking to see that raised to US$800.
Some of the more subtle changes in the list of demands would see U.S. banks and telecommunications companies allowed to do business and directly compete and invest in the Canadian market.
Regarding manufacturing, a major U.S. objective involves car parts.
The U.S. is targeting Asia specifically, but Canada is affected as well, as the auto industry was the forerunner of free trade with the U.S.
However, depending on the adeptness of Canadian negotiators, the end result could be widely beneficial to the Canadian consumer.