Buy American: President Barack Obama

Buy North American Dept: The U.S. perception of its neighbours didn t change, and the Buy American idea spread into a huge movement. A Harris poll found that 61 per cent of Americans preferred products made in America. In his new book, Bill Clinton recommends the website, How Americans Can Buy American, and Mr. Obama s State of the Union address was a rallying cry for the same theme, according to Globe and Mail. Buy North American could be the mantra for helping the U.S. recognize the importance of both neighbours. Few Americans know that the two key markets for their exports and source of energy imports are Canada and Mexico. Our trade with each other enhances our collective competitiveness because many of those goods are jointly produced with parts from all three countries. Thus, the best way to multiply our exports and accelerate growth would be to create a seamless market and construct a North American transportation and infrastructure grid and consider this case. During the recession, all three governments decided to stimulate their economies without considering their interdependence. In its 2009 bill, the U.S. Congress included a Buy American provision to bar Canada, Mexico and other countries from supplying iron, steel or manufactured goods for public projects. The provision violated the North American free-trade agreement and Canada rightly protested, spending substantial funds lobbying Congress and negotiating a waiver. The U.S. finally relented, but, last September, President Barack Obama asked Congress for a jobs bill with a similar provision. Seeking a Canadian exemption against such a movement is like trying to stop a tsunami with your hands. Instead of trying to eliminate a negative, Canada should try to catch the wave with an affirmative. Inserting just one word North in the middle of the Buy American movement might do that and begin to change the way Americans think about themselves and their neighbours. When Americans think about North America, however, they include Mexico. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.