Markets beyond the U.S. have an appetite for Canadian seafood
The seafood world is in Boston this week for Seafood Expo North America. But as fears over tariffs from U.S. President Donald Trump continue, there is talk from Atlantic Canadians about what business could look like beyond the U.S. The CBC's Leila Beaudoin reports.
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Winnipeg Free Press
27 minutes ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
House will vote on Trump's request to cut funding for NPR, PBS and foreign aid
WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans are moving to cut about $9.4 billion in spending already approved by Congress as President Donald Trump's administration looks to follow through on work by the Department of Government Efficiency when it was overseen by Elon Musk. The package to be voted on Thursday targets foreign aid programs and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which provides money for National Public Radio and the Public Broadcasting Service, as well as thousands of public radio and television stations around the country. Republicans are characterizing the spending as wasteful and unnecessary, but Democrats say the rescissions are hurting the United States' standing in the world. 'Cruelty is the point,' Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York said of the proposed spending cuts. The Trump administration is employing a tool rarely used in recent years that allows the president to transmit a request to Congress to cancel previously appropriated funds. That triggers a 45-day clock in which the funds are frozen pending congressional action. If Congress fails to act within that period, then the spending stands. The benefit for the administration of a formal rescissions request is that passage requires only a simple majority in the 100-member Senate instead of the 60 votes usually required to get spending bills through that chamber. So, if they stay united, Republicans will be able to pass the measure without any Democratic votes. The administration is likening the first rescissions package to a test case and says more could be on the way if Congress goes along. Republicans, sensitive to concerns that Trump's sweeping tax and immigration bill would increase future federal deficits, are anxious to demonstrate spending discipline, though the cuts in the package amount to just a sliver of the spending approved by Congress each year. They are betting the cuts prove popular with constituents who align with Trump's 'America first' ideology as well as those who view NPR and PBS as having a liberal bias. In all, the package contains 21 proposed rescissions. Approval would claw back about $900 million from $10 billion that Congress has approved for global health programs. That includes canceling $500 million for activities related to infectious diseases and child and maternal health and another $400 million to address the global HIV epidemic. The Trump administration is also looking to cancel $800 million, or a quarter of the amount Congress approved, for a program that provides emergency shelter, water and sanitation, and family reunification for those forced to flee their own country. About 45% of the savings sought by the White House would come from two programs designed to boost the economies, democratic institutions and civil societies in developing countries. The Republican president has also asked lawmakers to rescind nearly $1.1 billion from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which represents the full amount it's slated to receive during the next two budget years. About two-thirds of the money gets distributed to more than 1,500 locally owned public radio and television stations. Nearly half of those stations serve rural areas of the country. The association representing local public television stations warns that many of them would be forced to close if the Republican measure passes. Those stations provide emergency alerts, free educational programming and high school sports coverage and highlight hometown heroes. Advocacy groups that serve the world's poorest people are also sounding the alarm and urging lawmakers to vote no. 'We are already seeing women, children and families left without food, clean water and critical services after earlier aid cuts, and aid organizations can barely keep up with rising needs,' said Abby Maxman, president and CEO of Oxfam America, a poverty-fighting organization. Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., said the foreign aid is a tool that prevents conflict and promotes stability but the measure before the House takes that tool away. 'These cuts will lead to the deaths of hundreds of thousands, devastating the most vulnerable in the world,' McGovern said. 'And at a time when China and Russia and Iran are working overtime to challenge American influence.' Republicans disparaged the foreign aid spending and sought to link it to programs they said DOGE had uncovered. Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, said taxpayer dollars had gone to such things as targeting climate change, promoting pottery classes and strengthening diversity, equity and inclusion programs. Other Republicans cited similar examples they said DOGE had revealed. 'Yet, my friends on the other side of the aisle would like you to believe, seriously, that if you don't use your taxpayer dollars to fund this absurd list of projects and thousands of others I didn't even list, that somehow people will die and our global standing in the world will crumble,' Roy said. 'Well, let's just reject this now.'
CBC
3 hours ago
- CBC
G7: Why there is hope of a Carney-Trump tariff breakthrough at Alberta summit
Global trade will be a major focus at next week's G7 summit as world leaders gather in Alberta, including U.S. President Donald Trump, who will be making his first appearance at a major international event since returning to the White House in January. Experts and ambassadors are expressing some optimism that this type of event could be a difference-maker in convincing Trump to reduce the amount of tariffs charged on imports to the U.S. Any possible concessions on the trade front would be welcomed by countries such as Canada, that are facing economic hardship because of tariffs. "It's issue No. 1," said John Kirton, director of the G7 Research Group at the University of Toronto. On Wednesday, CBC News and Radio-Canada reported that talks between Prime Minister Mark Carney and Donald Trump are advanced enough that a document containing a draft economic and security agreement has been exchanged between the Prime Minister's Office and the White House. Ottawa is stepping up its efforts in recent weeks to reach an agreement before the end of the G7 summit. Global trade has slowed as a result of the ever-changing tariffs announced by Trump that have targeted various countries and also certain materials, such as steel and aluminum. In response, many countries, including Canada, have enacted their own tariffs. Canada's unemployment rate has climbed to seven per cent, which economists say is a sign the trade war with the U.S. is taking a toll on the job market, especially the manufacturing sector. Trade and tariffs are the "make or break issue" that will determine whether the summit in the Alberta Rocky Mountain village of Kananaskis Country is a success or not, said Kirton. For now, he's hopeful the various leaders' meetings and one-on-one conversations could produce results. "[Trump] likes to deliver big wins and the other G7 leaders are smart enough to deliver agreements which are real wins," said Kirton, pointing to how countries could pledge to increase defence spending and make other commitments, in exchange for lower tariffs on imports into the U.S. World leaders, including Carney, Trump and leaders from France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United Kingdom, as well as the European Union, are meeting in Alberta from June 15 to 17 for talks on a variety of other issues, including climate change and managing rapidly evolving technology. The summit is a high-profile event, yet only involves a handful of world leaders, which is noteworthy, said Gary Mar, CEO of the Canada West Foundation, an Alberta-based think-tank. "One of the reasons the G7 is effective is because it's a small group. It's small enough that it's focused and can really be productive," said Mar, who was part of the welcoming party at the Calgary airport when world leaders arrived for the last summit held in Kananaskis in 2002. Trade was not nearly as contentious at that gathering, but rather promoted as having a profound impact on economic growth and development around the world. At the time, U.S. President George Bush even highlighted the value of trade with Canada during the opening press conference. "We've got a significant relationship together. It's a vibrant, positive friendship," said Bush. "Trade is in the interests of all of us. There are some problems on occasion, but we've got the kind of relationship where we can be very frank about it and try to work them out." The 2002 summit was held less than 12 months after the terrorist attack on the Pentagon and World Trade Center, which is why the main focus was to discuss the war on terrorism and responding to the threat of weapons of mass destruction. Geopolitical tension and conflicts are expected to be one of the talking points at this year's G7, but the tariff situation will likely top the agenda. Trade policy needs to be discussed urgently, said Matthias Lüttenberg, Germany's ambassador to Canada, while on stage at a recent event in Calgary to discuss the G7. Free trade and open markets for Germany is "one of the most important pillars of our economic world view and it's the foundation of prosperity and sustainable growth for all of us," he said. The G7 has an important role to play and the summit has value in producing results on global issues, Lüttenberg said, a sentiment shared by other ambassadors attending the G7 event. "We know how it works and we have achieved so much together already. And I'm not only talking about leader statements, but it's also the practical work," he explained, pointing to the example of how the G7 agreed on certain sanctions against Russia following its invasion of Ukraine, while also working toward how to help Ukraine rebuild. Global economic growth is slowing more than expected only a few months ago as a result of the Trump administration's trade war, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development said earlier this month. The global economy is on pace to slow from 3.3 per cent last year to 2.9 per cent in 2025 because of the tariff fallout, the agency said, trimming its estimates from March for growth of 3.1 per cent this year.
Winnipeg Free Press
9 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Critical minerals give China an edge in trade negotiations
GANZHOU, China (AP) — China's dominance over critical minerals in global supply chains was a powerful bargaining chip in trade talks between Beijing and Washington that concluded with both sides saying they have a framework to pursue a deal. China has spent decades building the world's main industrial chain for mining and processing such materials, which are used in many industries such as electronics, advanced manufacturing, defense and health care. Mines and factories in and around Ganzhou, a key production hub for rare earths, underpin China's control over the minerals. Many residents grew up collecting rocks containing the valuable minerals from the forested hills surrounding the southern city and today make a living from mining, trading or processing them. Critical minerals as a trade issue Responding to ever higher tariffs and other controls on advanced technology, China told exporters of certain key rare earths and other critical minerals to obtain licenses for every shipment abroad. Approvals can take weeks, leading to supply chain disruptions in the U.S. and other countries. President Donald Trump said Wednesday that China would make it easier for American industry to obtain much-needed needed magnets and rare earth minerals, clearing the way for talks to continue between the world's two biggest economies. In return, Trump said, the U.S. will stop efforts to revoke the visas of Chinese nationals on U.S. college campuses. But details remain scarce. Beijing has not confirmed what the negotiators agreed to, and Chinese President Xi Jinping and Trump himself have yet to sign off on it. The Chinese Commerce Ministry said Saturday it had approved a 'certain number' of export licenses for rare earth products, apparently acknowledging Trump's personal request to Xi during a phone call last week. And on Wednesday, the Ganzhou-based rare-earth conglomerate JL MAG Rare-Earth Co. confirmed it had obtained some export licenses for shipments to destinations including the U.S., Europe and Southeast Asia. Experts say, however, Beijing is unlikely to do away with the permit system enabling it to control access to those valuable resources. The only scenario in which China might deregulate its critical minerals export is if the U.S. first fully removes tariffs imposed on Chinese goods as part of the trade war, said Wang Yiwei, a professor of international affairs at Renmin University, echoing the Chinese government's earlier stance. 'Without that,' he said, 'it will be difficult to blame China for continuing to strengthen its export controls.' An industry built over decades with government support In 1992, Deng Xiaoping, the leader who launched China's ascent as the world's biggest manufacturing power, famously said 'the Middle East has oil, China has rare earths,' signaling a desire to leverage access to the key minerals. Several generations later, Beijing has made its rich reserves of rare earths, a group of 17 minerals that are abundant in the earth's crust but hard, expensive and environmentally polluting to process, a key element of China's economic security. In 2019, during a visit to a rare earth processing plant in Ganzhou, Xi described rare earths as a 'vital strategic resource.' China today has an essential monopoly over 'heavy rare earths,' used for making powerful, heat-resistance magnets used in industries such as defense and electric vehicles. The country also produces around 80% of the world's tungsten, gallium and antimony, and 60% of the world's germanium -– all minerals used in the making of semiconductors, among other advanced technologies. The risks of dependency on Chinese suppliers first came into focus in 2010, when Beijing suspended rare earths exports to Japan due to a territorial dispute. The ban was lifted after about two months, but as a precaution, Japan invested in rare earths processing plants in other countries and began stockpiling the materials. Beijing's across-the-board requirement for export licenses for some critical minerals has put pressure on world electronics manufacturers and automakers. Some auto parts makers in Europe have shut down production lines due to delays in supply deliveries, according to the European Association of Automotive Suppliers. In the U.S., Tesla CEO Elon Musk said a shortage of rare earths is affecting his company's work on humanoid robots. China's critical minerals resources are dwindling In the drab industrial hub of Ganzhou, cradled by the scenic Dayu Mountains, the U.S.-China trade war is still a distant stressor. Miners and small mineral traders interviewed by The Associated Press said they are more concerned about depleting the mountains' once-abundant resources. Zhong, a tungsten factory manager in Ganzhou who would only give his last name, worked his way up to manager from a miner, but he's unsure there is a future for him and others in the industry. 'I find growing difficulties to source tungsten these days,' he said, adding that smaller mines and trading companies are slowly disappearing as the resources are dwindling. Tungsten is an ultra-hard metal used in armor-piercing ammunition, nuclear reactors and semiconductors. At least five tungsten mines have closed in the area in recent years, according to state media. Remaining reserves are deeper and harder to extract and process after decades of exploitation, said Li Shangkui, chairman of the Ganzhou-based Jiangxi Yuean Advanced Materials Co., Ltd. Processing factories in Ganzhou now routinely source materials from other provinces or other countries. Zhong's plant imports some raw materials from places like Africa and Cambodia. Major state-owned and private companies in Ganzhou are also ramping up investments abroad. Tungsten producer Ganzhou Haisheng, for instance, announced last year a $25 million investment in a new tungsten plant in Thailand. Whatever the challenges in procuring raw materials, China likely will seek to maintain its dominance in critical minerals, said Fabian Villalobos, an engineer and critical minerals expert at the RAND think tank. The U.S. lags far behind China on critical minerals Between 2020 and 2023, the U.S. imported at least 70% of the rare earth compounds it used from China, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. It has diversified its sources in recent years, but still mainly relies on China. Since beginning his second term in office, Trump has made improving access to critical minerals a matter of national security. But the U.S. has an incredibly long way to go to catch up with China, experts say. The sole operational U.S. rare earths mine, in Mountain Pass, California, is unable to separate heavy rare earths. It sends its ore to China for processing. The U.S. Defense Department has provided funding to the mine's owner, MP Materials, to build new separation facilities. It will take months to build and still only produce a fraction of what is needed. Friction over the issue has opened the way for government-backed financing that was unavailable before, said Mark Smith, who ran the Mountain Pass mine in the early 2010s and now leads NioCorp. It's seeking about $780 million in financing through the U.S. Export-Import Bank to build a processing facility in Nebraska for critical minerals including rare earths. The Defense Department has committed $439 million to building domestic rare earth supply chains, but building a complete mining and processing industrial chain like China's could take decades. 'There are going to be some real issues here unless we can figure out how to get along with China for a period of time while we're developing our own resources and our mainstream processing,' Smith said. The spotlight on critical minerals also provides opportunities for smaller miners to invest in extracting and processing some critical minerals, such as tungsten, considered 'niche' because they are needed in relatively small amounts in key industries, said Milo McBride, an expert on sustainability and geopolitics at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. 'For many of these companies, the business strategy hedges on a scenario where the U.S. and China become more confrontational and where trade relations become more uncomfortable,' McBride said. 'And all of a sudden, what was once an uneconomic project somewhere outside of China starts to make more sense.' ___ Associated Press news researcher Shihuan Chen contributed to this story.
