“[Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland] compared NAFTA to a house that needs to be renovated, remodelled and even expanded, which is why she expected the negotiations to sometimes be messy and difficult.”

Patrick Leblond, The Globe and Mail opinion editorial

Through multiple rounds of tenacious NAFTA renegotiations, CIGI was a destination for engaging and relevant content. CIGI offered Canadian policy makers and target audiences valuable perspectives into the most pressing issues through poignant opinion articles, insightful papers, topical Twitter conversations, supportive multimedia content and news media commentary. Senior Fellow Jeff Rubin gained attention for his hard look at the auto assembly and parts industry, earning him repeated guest appearances on BNN, CBC, CTV and more. ILRP experts, led by Bassem Awad, deputy director, international IP law and innovation, weighed in on how a modernized NAFTA could protect IP rights and traditional knowledge and cultural expressions while developing a knowledge economy. Hugo Perezcano Díaz, deputy director, international economic law, was sought out for his views on Mexico’s part in NAFTA and his practical understanding of the negotiations.

As questions around Canadian manufacturing, unresolved NAFTA chapters and US President Donald Trump’s tariffs took centre stage, CIGI’s expertise was sought after, earning 1,050 media hits internationally, including in The New York Times and The Guardian, and regular contributions to The Globe and Mail, Financial Post and Maclean’s opinion sections.

0%