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CCCA_V3No1_Dept-CrossBdr-FIN.qxd:CCCA_V1No2_Dept-CrossBdr-V1.qxd 1/21/09 2:52 PM Page 17 Cross Border According to Kanargelidis, Obama puts around him.” “the trade relationship is so “ Obama will take the Most veteran trade lawyers deep, it transcends whoever’s position with Canada that it is the are optimistic that the Canada- elected. The two economies U.S.’s best trading partner. U.S. trading relationship will are highly integrated.We’re not strengthen under President just buying and selling finished ” Obama. His thoughtful and goods [from each other], we’re tempered approach to issues of making them together.” international concern should Whatever happens though, Canadian particularly friendly to Canada in the past.” bode well for this country. “He can’t be companies should still pay attention to the Also, Montana Senator Max Baucus, saying, ‘let’s have that mutual respect new Democratic Congress because it“calls chairman of the United States Senate again’ and take the opposite approach,” the shots in trade matters,” says Lawrence Committee on Finance, has been says Landry. Herman, a lawyer with Cassels Brock & “extremely difficult on Canada in the soft- Perhaps more importantly, with each Blackwell in Toronto, who focuses on wood lumber dispute and in Canada-U.S. new administration there are concerns of international trade and related transactions. agritrade disputes.” renewed protectionism coming from the “Democrats in control of the House of So, given all this, what should a compa- U.S. But once reminded that the two Representatives and the Senate will be far ny do to protect itself? For one, Herman nations share the world's largest and most more difficult on Canada.They are tradi- recommends that they “pay attention very comprehensive trading relationship, sup- tionally more protectionist.” carefully and take full account of the porting millions of jobs in each country, For example, he points to California changes in the senators and congressmen the appetite for fixing pesky annoyances Congressman Henry Waxman, the new in the Congressional voting committees.” rapidly diminishes. chairman of the House Committee on In addition, Kanargelidis says “in-house Energy and Commerce:“He has not been counsel should be ever-vigilant to see who Pablo Fuchs is a business writer inToronto. PRINTEMPS 2009 CCCA Canadian Corporate Counsel Association 17