John M. Curtis Op-Ed ContributionsJohn M. Curtis Op-Ed Contributions
A new government and international trade
John Curtis argues that with a majority government and a stronger, left-leaning official opposition, international trade policy, practices and negotiations are unlikely to have a higher priority on the Canadian policy agenda than they have in recent years.
Stop ignoring the world
As the two leaders’ debates showed once again, foreign policy rarely ranks high in Canadian voters’ minds when contemplating for whom, or for what political party, they might vote.
Climate change and international trade
Two of the major contemporary policy issues facing the world are climate change, and sustainability more generally, and international trade. Although generally thought of in silos, climate and trade do in fact have many points of intersection which will become clearer, more intensive — and possibly even more confrontational — in the coming years.
Free-fall trade
Of the many individuals and institutions being affected by the current economic crisis -- although at this stage, "meltdown" might be a better description of the economic situation -- one of the most dramatic has been the rapid decline in international trade flows.
A Domestic Budget with Flexibility to Respond to International Events
The federal budget presented yesterday by Finance Minister Jim Flaherty attempts to balance the short-term need to help Canadian families, regions, and sectors and the longer-term objective of taking advantage of the crisis to lay the foundation for a more competitive, greener economy in the future.
G20 remains the same in a changing world
The rationale of the agenda for this weekend's G20 leaders' summit is obvious. After all, the mounting financial crisis is a global phenomenon requiring common corrective measures.
The financial crisis: From the U.S. to the world
The drama unfolding in the United States' financial markets has already attained the proportions of a major event in economic history.
Worldwide commerce in grip of volatility and uncertainty
The volatility and uncertainty surrounding the world's financial system -- never mind stalled global trade talks in Geneva, and even delayed and difficult regional trade talks -- are discussed in much of the business media these days.
Do multilateral meetings have an impact?
Headlines last week and over the weekend from the annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit, this year in Sydney, Australia, have highlighted many of the international issues currently most talked about: climate change, trade, energy and resources more generally, security, and overall economic performance.