Event Speeches & Presentations Archive

Return to search/listings

Canada crucial to U.S. economy and both countries need to solve border problems, says Ambassador Michael Wilson

Monday, December 10, 2007

By Terry Hadley
Venue: Vancouver Marriott Pinnacle Downtown

"I regret to say the border is thickening,” Wilson told The Board in his PACIFIC ECONOMIC FORUM speech. All Photos: D.Roels

Michael Wilson, Canadian Ambassador to the U.S., was outspoken on border issues during his PACIFIC ECONOMIC FORUM™ speech to The Vancouver Board of Trade.

While he stressed that trade with the U.S. is at the root of Canada’s prosperity and our “relationships with the U.S. is at a very good level… we are the best of friends, the best of allies,” he also warned, “I regret to say the border is thickening.”

Wilson said delays were often inadvertently caused by measures introduced with good intentions, but without understanding the negative ripple effect they can have on business between the two countries.

A perfectly sensible, new rule can be devastating in other areas, he said. For example, the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative controlling documentation for Canadians leaving and entering the U.S. is impacting tourism leaving people confused over what documentation is needed to cross the border.

We simply “must prevent deadlock at the border,” he said, quoting President Bush stating there must be “effective border strategies to minimize security risks” but they must not hinder border flow.

Trade is so important between the two countries that both have to be aware “border statutes must not kill the goose that lays the golden egg,” said Wilson. He said the two countries must work out effective cross-border strategies. And it is not only Canada that stands to suffer. “If they don’t, both countries will be hurt,” he warned.

Wilson stressed the U.S. is a big beneficiary of trade with Canada. He listed how Canada has the second largest oil reserves in the world after Saudi Arabia, supplying more crude oil to the U.S. than Saudi Arabia and Iraq combined. Canada also supplies 85 per cent of America’s natural gas imports and one-third of its uranium imports.

Canada is America’s biggest import market, buying four times as much from the U.S. as China. The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), originally signed by Wilson when he was finance minister, has increased trade flow between the two countries from $304 billion to $903 billion over the past 13 years, despite hiccups with softwood lumber. More than $1 million-a-day two-way trade takes place every minute, $1.6 billion a day. Around 7.1 million jobs across the U.S. rely on trade with Canada – more than the total workforce of any one state.

Canada has the longest border neighbouring four U.S states, enabling both countries to benefit from partnerships and established relationships which “allow us to compete with Asia and Europe.”

Wilson added ongoing border collaboration is crucial to effective border security. “We seek out problems before they hit our borders and we do this best by working collaboratively with our American partners,” he said.

Canada is the United States’ most important partner in economic growth,” he said. “The border problem is not just a Canadian problem.”

Return to search/listings

Copyright 1999-2009 The Vancouver Board of Trade. All Rights Reserved
Site Credits Privacy Policy