The Harper government has been “playing catch up” with the United States through its aggressive free trade agenda in the Americas, emulating—and even pre-empting—its southern neighbour’s engagement in the region, newly-released diplomatic cables indicate.

In a cable dated June 2008, former US ambassador to Canada David Wilkins wrote: “In pursuing [free trade agreements], Canada pays close attention to US trade negotiations to ensure that Canadian exports are not put at a comparative disadvantage relative to their US-based competitors.”

Although Canada’s economic relations with most Latin American countries are “proportionally much smaller than those of the US, Canada is aiming to match the US’s market access, the cable reads, which may even open doors for the Americans,” Mr. Wilkins added.

“Canadian trade officials and businesses believe trade talks foster new diplomatic/commercial relationships and help countries build their capacity for anticipated negotiations with the United States.”

In second cable dated July 2008, Mr. Wilkins quotes Rouben Khatchadourian, then-senior adviser for the Americas Strategy at the Foreign Affairs department, saying Canada is “playing catch up” with the US in terms of greater integration in the region.

The Harper government has made the Americas a key focus of its foreign policy since coming to power, many observers saying the economic pillar of this strategy is bearing the must fruits so far.

In the last years, Canada has signed trade agreements with Peru, Columbia and Panama, while currently negotiating deals with other Central American countries and CARICOM.

Yet the memos, all of which originate from the US Embassy in Ottawa, also reinforce allegations Canada and the United States have been working together in inking free trade deals in the hemisphere.

Mr. Wilkins wrote to his colleagues at the US State Department that Canada “strongly supports” the US idea of broadening free trade agreements in the Western hemisphere.

This was reinforced in another cable entitled “Oy Canada,” in which Mr. Wilkins said the recently concluded trade negotiations between Canada and Colombia “could place some US producers at a competitive disadvantage.” However, he adds: “The [Government of Canada] is hopeful that it will serve to put pressure on the US to approve the” US-Colombia free trade deal.

While it remains unclear how much this US idea has influenced the Harper government’s Americas strategy, experts see a clear connection. Closer engagement in the Western Hemisphere was an approach “the US would have liked” said Andrew Cooper, distinguished fellow at the Centre for International Governance Innovation.

“I think the US was very supportive of Canada playing a bigger role in the Americas,” he said. “[Mr. Harper] deals with the Americas as more of a copycat of what the US is doing.”

Paul Evans, director of the Institute of Asian Research at the University of British Columbia, echoed Mr. Cooper’s thought.

The Harper government’s focus on Latin America is “consonant with American interests,” said Mr. Evans, who recently returned from a meeting with Latin American specialists in the US.

The Harper government has been “playing catch up” with the United States through its aggressive free trade agenda in the Americas, emulating—and even pre-empting—its southern neighbour’s engagement in the region, newly-released diplomatic cables indicate.

In a cable dated June 2008, former US ambassador to Canada David Wilkins wrote: “In pursuing [free trade agreements], Canada pays close attention to US trade negotiations to ensure that Canadian exports are not put at a comparative disadvantage relative to their US-based competitors.”

Although Canada’s economic relations with most Latin American countries are “proportionally much smaller than those of the US, Canada is aiming to match the US’s market access, the cable reads, which may even open doors for the Americans,” Mr. Wilkins added.

“Canadian trade officials and businesses believe trade talks foster new diplomatic/commercial relationships and help countries build their capacity for anticipated negotiations with the United States.”

In second cable dated July 2008, Mr. Wilkins quotes Rouben Khatchadourian, then-senior adviser for the Americas Strategy at the Foreign Affairs department, saying Canada is “playing catch up” with the US in terms of greater integration in the region.

The Harper government has made the Americas a key focus of its foreign policy since coming to power, many observers saying the economic pillar of this strategy is bearing the must fruits so far.

In the last years, Canada has signed trade agreements with Peru, Columbia and Panama, while currently negotiating deals with other Central American countries and CARICOM.

Yet the memos, all of which originate from the US Embassy in Ottawa, also reinforce allegations Canada and the United States have been working together in inking free trade deals in the hemisphere.

Mr. Wilkins wrote to his colleagues at the US State Department that Canada “strongly supports” the US idea of broadening free trade agreements in the Western hemisphere.

This was reinforced in another cable entitled “Oy Canada,” in which Mr. Wilkins said the recently concluded trade negotiations between Canada and Colombia “could place some US producers at a competitive disadvantage.” However, he adds: “The [Government of Canada] is hopeful that it will serve to put pressure on the US to approve the” US-Colombia free trade deal.

While it remains unclear how much this US idea has influenced the Harper government’s Americas strategy, experts see a clear connection. Closer engagement in the Western Hemisphere was an approach “the US would have liked” said Andrew Cooper, distinguished fellow at the Centre for International Governance Innovation.

“I think the US was very supportive of Canada playing a bigger role in the Americas,” he said. “[Mr. Harper] deals with the Americas as more of a copycat of what the US is doing.”

Paul Evans, director of the Institute of Asian Research at the University of British Columbia, echoed Mr. Cooper’s thought.

The Harper government’s focus on Latin America is “consonant with American interests,” said Mr. Evans, who recently returned from a meeting with Latin American specialists in the US.