Carney's Sovereignty Concerns Raised in Trade Talks

Canadian Prime Minister Carney recently cited 'sovereignty' as a reason for walking away from trade talks with the US, but this claim is met with skepticism by David Collins in City Law Forum.

The source of this concern was the US's attempt to interfere with Canada's trade relations with third countries, which Carney characterized as an unacceptable infringement on Canadian sovereignty.

However, Collins points out that this argument is hypocritical given Carney's own history as Governor of the Bank of England during the Brexit years. At that time, Carney actively sought to keep the UK in the EU, despite its customs union limiting the country's ability to sign its own trade agreements with third countries.

Collins also notes that the USMCA already contains provisions that restrict Canada's capacity for independent trade relations, including an 'anti-China' clause that prevents USMCA members from signing free trade agreements with non-market economies.