Latest news with #NorthAmericanFreeTradeAgreement
Toronto Star
5 hours ago
- Business
- Toronto Star
Who is Marc-André Blanchard? PM Mark Carney's new chief of staff comes from the worlds of law, diplomacy
As his new government enters its fifth week, Prime Minister Mark Carney continued to build out his inner circle Sunday, naming diplomat and lawyer Marc-André Blanchard as his chief of staff starting in July. In a statement posted to the social media platform X, Carney called Blanchard 'one of Canada's most accomplished builders, legal experts, executives, public servants, and diplomats.' Here's everything you need to know about the prime minister's new top aide. What is Blanchard's educational and professional background? Much like the prime minister he will serve, Blanchard graduated from some of the world's most elite universities; he holds degrees from the London School of Economics, Université de Montréal and Columbia University. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW A lawyer by trade, Blanchard, 59, spent six years as the chair and CEO of McCarthy Tétrault, a business law firm based in Toronto. He most recently served as the executive vice-president for CDPQ Global, a Quebec-based investment firm. He is still a member of the Quebec bar, according to the body's directory, where his area of law is listed as 'international.' Does he have experience in government? Yes, Blanchard served as Canada's ambassador to the United Nations from 2016 to 2020. The announcement of his ascension to the post received little fanfare at the time, seeing as it was made the same day as David MacNaughton's appointment to be Canada's ambassador to the United States. The UN post has a history of being held by prominent Canadian political figures; former Ontario premier Bob Rae succeeded Blanchard in the job, and Stephen Lewis and longtime Jean Chrétien cabinet minister Allan Rock have also represented Canada at the UN. Federal Politics Former UN ambassador Marc-André Blanchard named chief of staff to Mark Carney Elissa Mendes In addition, Blanchard sat on Canada's North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) Council alongside one-time opposition leader Rona Ambrose and Stephen Harper-era cabinet minister James Moore, among others. How are other public officials and politicians reacting to the news? Lisa Raitt, a three-term Conservative MP who once served as Canada's labour minister, said on X that she is a 'BIG fan of this appointment,' thanking Blanchard for 'coming back once again to serve Canada.' Ambrose, likewise, called the appointment an 'excellent choice.' ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Meanwhile, former Liberal MP and transport minister Omar Alghabra called it a 'well-deserved appointment,' while longtime Liberal party fixture Penny Collenette said that Blanchard and Carney form 'a powerful duo' that puts Canada 'in supreme hands.' Who else was considered for the role? The Star previously reported that former Trudeau senior adviser Mathieu Bouchard, who also served as chief of staff to the heritage minister, was in conversations for the position. The Globe and Mail reported that Trudeau aide and adviser Gerald Butts declined to take the job after being approached. Who are other notable chiefs of staff? Federal Politics Carney government recognizes 'there's no time to waste' on new housing, Olivia Chow says Mayor Olivia Chow says she is refreshed by the urgency with which the Mark Carney government is tackling the housing crisis. Federal Politics Carney government recognizes 'there's no time to waste' on new housing, Olivia Chow says Mayor Olivia Chow says she is refreshed by the urgency with which the Mark Carney government is tackling the housing crisis. Though perhaps not as glamorous and recognizable as the White House chief of staff in the U.S., a number of notable names have served in the position, including now-Senator Percy Downe and longtime Quebec City mayor Jean Pelletier. Former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's chief of staff, Katie Telford, for instance, was seen as one of the most important figures in the Liberal government. In describing her influence on the government's strategy and operations, the Star's Susan Delacourt observed in 2023 that no chief of staff had travelled with a prime minister as much as she had during the 10 years she spent in the role. Carney's outgoing chief of staff, Marco Mendicino, served three terms in the House of Commons representing Eglinton-Lawrence and had two different cabinet appointments in the Trudeau government. The Star recently reported that Mendicino is considering a run for mayor of Toronto in next year's mayoral election. With files from The Canadian Press. Politics Headlines Newsletter Get the latest news and unmatched insights in your inbox every evening Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. Please enter a valid email address. Sign Up Yes, I'd also like to receive customized content suggestions and promotional messages from the Star. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Politics Headlines Newsletter You're signed up! You'll start getting Politics Headlines in your inbox soon. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page.
Montreal Gazette
11 hours ago
- Business
- Montreal Gazette
Carney names Quebecer, former UN ambassador as chief of staff
Canadian Politics TORONTO — Prime Minister Mark Carney has named Canada's former ambassador to the United Nations as his chief of staff. Carney announced on Sunday that Marc-André Blanchard would begin his post in July, taking over from Marco Mendicino, the former Liberal cabinet minister who had been doing the job on an interim basis. 'Marc-André has a long and distinguished career as one of Canada's most accomplished builders, legal experts, executives, public servants, and diplomats serving as Canada's ambassador and permanent representative to the United Nations,' Carney wrote on X. Blanchard currently serves as an executive at CDPQ Global, a Quebec-based investment firm responsible for managing pension funds and insurance plans. The prominent Quebec lawyer served as Canada's ambassador to the United Nations from 2016 until 2020. In 2017, Blanchard was named as a member of the government's council struck on the new North American Free Trade Agreement, which was renegotiated by Canada, the U.S., and Mexico, during Trump's first term in office. In his post on X, Carney confirmed that Mendicino would remain his interim chief of staff into 'early summer.' He said Mendicino would be in the job as the Liberal government prepared to introduce its first legislation of the new session of Parliament and host G7 leaders when they meet in Alberta later this month, including U.S. President Donald Trump. Carney has named growing Canada's economy in the face of the president's trade war by knocking down interprovincial trade barriers and fast-tracking approvals for new energy and infrastructure projects as his top priorities. His government is also set to table a bill addressing Canada-U.S. border security, which has been another irritant of Trump's. Carney announced Blanchard as his chief of staff as he was set to meet with energy leaders in Calgary on Sunday and then travel to Saskatoon, where he will spend Monday meeting with the premiers for a First Ministers' Meeting. From Nova Scotia's 'Wind West' to Alberta's pipeline dream, here are the national projects premiers are pitching Carney Chief of staff is the highest-ranking official in the Prime Minister's Office and is responsible for shepherding the government's agenda. In terms of other changes, former Liberal justice minister David Lametti will become Carney's principal secretary, according to a government source familiar with the matter, speaking on the condition of background. Tom Pitfield, a former Trudeau operative who worked on past Liberal election campaigns, had been in the role on an interim basis. Lametti and Carney have known each other for decades, with the pair attending and playing hockey together at the University of Oxford. Since winning the April 28 federal election, Carney has been working to staff up his office. So far, the first twelve chiefs of staff have been named for various ministers. He won the election on a mandate of standing up to Trump's trade war and growing the Canadian economy, promising to deliver on an ambitious agenda and get the government to move at a pace not seen in the past.
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
21 hours ago
- Business
- First Post
'Catastrophic' job losses: Canada's steel industry trembles as Trump announces sharp tariff rise
The move to increase tariffs drew swift criticism from Canadian officials and industry leaders, who said the tariffs threaten to devastate a sector already under strain from earlier trade measures read more US President Donald Trump meets with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on May 6, 2025. AFP Photo Canada's steel industry warned of 'catastrophic' job losses, factory slowdowns and supply chain disruptions after US President Donald Trump announced a sharp increase in tariffs on imported steel and aluminium, raising them to 50 per cent. Trump announced the tariff hike during a rally Friday (May 30) in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, framing the decision as a way to protect American industry and touting a $15 billion partnership between Nippon Steel and US Steel. He said the tariffs would take effect Wednesday and called them a 'fence' around domestic production. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The announcement comes less than a month after Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney visited the White House in an effort to repair strained relations. Carney had hoped to reset ties that had been damaged by previous threats from Trump to impose steep tariffs and even annex Canada. The two leaders had signalled a willingness to renegotiate the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, which replaced the North American Free Trade Agreement during Trump's first term and is scheduled for review next year. Tariff increase sparks criticism, fears The move to increase tariffs drew swift criticism from Canadian officials and industry leaders, who said the tariffs threaten to devastate a sector already under strain from earlier trade measures. Canada is the largest foreign supplier of steel and aluminium to the United States, accounting for nearly a quarter of US steel imports in 2023 and about half of aluminium imports. 'A 25 per cent tariff is difficult, but a 50 per cent one is catastrophic,' Financial Times quoted Catherine Cobden, president of the Canadian Steel Producers Association, as saying. The steel industry in Canada is valued at 15 billion Canadian dollars (US$11 billion) and supports 23,000 direct jobs, along with another 100,000 indirect positions, according to the association. 'Steel tariffs at this level will create mass disruption and negative consequences across our highly integrated steel supply chains and customers on both sides of the border,' Cobden said. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Cobden said the new tariffs 'essentially close the US market' to Canadian producers and will 'have unrecoverable consequences.' The Aluminium Association of Canada said it was awaiting 'clearer and more formal legal confirmation' before offering a full response. Canada's international trade minister, Dominic LeBlanc, said the government remained 'resolute' in defending its workers and industries. 'As we negotiate a new economic and security relationship with the US, Canada's new government will stand strong to get the best deal for Canadians,' LeBlanc wrote Saturday (May 31) on X, formerly Twitter. Golden Dome and 51st state The latest tariff move coincided with remarks by Trump earlier in the week claiming Canada would have to pay $61 billion to participate in a proposed 'Golden Dome' missile defence system. Trump said the cost would be waived if Canada joined the US as its 51st state. A spokesperson for Carney said the prime minister 'has been clear at every opportunity, including in his conversations with President Trump, that Canada is an independent, sovereign nation, and it will remain one.' Canada responded to the new tariffs with its own set of retaliatory measures. Officials announced a 'dollar-for-dollar' response targeting C$12.6 billion in US steel products, C$3 billion in aluminium, and C$14.2 billion in other goods. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Those measures, launched in March, come on top of earlier retaliatory tariffs on C$30 billion worth of US products. However, Canada eased some restrictions in April, particularly those affecting US automakers and manufacturers. Canadian ministers and provincial leaders are scheduled to meet Monday in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, to discuss economic diversification and strategies to reduce reliance on US trade. 'This isn't trade policy, it's a direct attack on Canadian industries and workers,' said Marty Warren, national director of the United Steelworkers in Canada. 'Thousands of Canadian jobs are on the line, and communities that rely on steel and aluminium are being put at risk. Canada needs to respond immediately and decisively to defend workers.' Goldy Hyder, president of the Business Council of Canada, urged caution, saying it was important 'not to take the bait' and instead remain focused on renewing the USMCA. 'These moving goalposts is just a strategy to try and get Canada to give more,' Hyder said. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
News18
3 days ago
- Business
- News18
Who Is Megan Cassella, Journalist Behind ‘TACO' Trade Question That Angered Trump?
Last Updated: Donald Trump was questioned about TACO trade by CNBC correspondent Megan Cassella during a press conference at the Oval Office on Wednesday. US President Donald Trump has been making the headlines once again. This time, it was his reaction to the term 'TACO trade' that caught everyone's attention. The US President was questioned by a reporter about the term TACO or Trump Always Chickens Out during a press conference at the Oval Office on Wednesday. The term refers to Trump's tactic of announcing high tariffs on other countries and later backing down. The question left the leader visibly angry as he defended his trade policies. Trump was questioned about TACO trade by CNBC correspondent Megan Cassella. 'Mr President, Wall Street analysts have coined a new term called the Taco trade. They're saying 'Trump Always Chickens Out' (Taco) on your tariff threats. And that's why markets are higher this week. 'What's your response to that?" she asked. In response, Trump said his negotiating tactics had led to $14 trillion in new investment in the US. The figure could not be independently verified, according to the Associated Press. He also claimed that European Union leaders had asked him to set a meeting for negotiations, which led him to delay a 50 per cent levy on EU goods to July 9. Trump rejected the term 'TACO trade' and called it the 'nastiest question." The acronym TACO was coined by Robert Armstrong, a commentator for Financial Times, to denote Trump's volatile back-and-forth regarding tariffs on imported goods. The US President had announced a 145 per cent levy on goods imported from China, later pulling the figure to 30 per cent to allow for 90 days of negotiations. A similar situation was seen with the imposition of universal tariffs and levies on auto and electronics. The flip-flop by Donald Trump has had a corresponding effect on the markets. When tariffs are announced, investors sell off. Conversely, stocks rebound when the tariff decisions are reversed. Who Is Megan Cassella? A correspondent for CNBC, Cassella is known for her reporting on policy decisions by Washington DC. A journalism and international politics graduate from the University of North Carolina, she earlier worked at Politico. There, she covered the Biden administration's economic policy transition, and the renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Before joining CNBC, she worked as Barron's senior economics and policy reporter. She covered the US economy and the Federal Reserve with a focus on the labour market and inflation. First Published:
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
The iconic California avocado is in trouble, and this farmer is fighting to save it
Norman Kachuck stood on a loamy ridge overlooking his inheritance. Avocado trees blanketed the hillsides of ACA Groves in three directions, just a portion of a 372-acre spread studded with 16,000 specimens, many of them dense with branches weighed down by that quintessential California fruit. The serene San Diego County property felt far from the chaotic epicenter of the global avocado industry in Mexico. Violence, corruption and environmental degradation have saturated the avocado trade there, causing the U.S. to briefly stop imports and senators to agitate for action by the federal government. "Mexican avocado imports are tainted conflict fruit," said Kachuck, 70, a former neurologist who heads his family's business. "The Mexican avocado industry is corrupt and ungoverned — and the American consumer is being deceived." A deluge of inexpensive avocados from Mexico has imperiled the livelihoods of California growers, Kachuck among them. A quirky and voluble man, Kachuck is on a quest to save the California avocado, taking political and legal action against entrenched interests he sees as an impediment to farmers like him. He calls himself a "Neuroavocado Warrior." "You've got to be an activist, you've got to be proactive and you have to defend your strengths and buttress your weaknesses in everything you do," said Kachuck, a married father of three adult children. "Everything has adversarial components to it. But the operative part is making peace." As recently as the 1990s, the U.S. did not import Mexican avocados. But 1994's North American Free Trade Agreement opened the floodgates: now roughly 90% of the avocados consumed here are imported. And the bulk of that fruit — again, roughly 90% — comes from Mexico, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. At the same time, Southern California farmers must survive in a drought-prone state, and extreme weather brought on by climate change has meant irregular crop yields, among other challenges. Dylan Marschall, a real estate broker who specializes in avocado properties, said the market dynamics are brutally simple: "Yeah, California has better-quality avocados, but retailers are in the business to make money. And if they can get [better] prices from Mexico, they aren't going to pay for California fruit." Amid the tumult, Kachuck has battled with the California Avocado Commission, accusing it of insufficiently aiding growers. Now he is bracing for President Trump's trade policies, unsure what they might do to his business. Kachuck said he would welcome a tariff, but pointed out that another major Trump initiative — deporting millions of immigrants in the U.S. illegally — could seriously deplete his and other farmers' labor forces. Change can't come soon enough. Kachuck's line of credit is tapped out and he's had to draw hundreds of thousands of dollars from his retirement account to keep the business afloat. Amid the avalanche of foreign fruit, the seasons spanning 2019 through 2023 were "just awful," Kachuck said. The COVID-19 pandemic amplified the problems. But he presses on. "Yeah, I'm taking chances. And I'm stupid enough to not know when quitting is correct," he said. "I just have this general sense of optimism — or hubris — that I can figure it out." Kachuck took over his family's business in 2010, making the long drive to San Diego County from his home in Valley Village. He had just walked away from a career in medicine — he'd practiced as a neurologist at USC for 20 years — to aid his ailing father. Israel Kachuck, a onetime astronautics engineer and general contractor, bought more than 450 acres of mostly barren land in the 1960s and began planting avocado trees. "He had been a restless soul for as long as I was aware," Kachuck said. "lt was part and parcel with what he was doing: moving things around in his brain to accommodate problem solving that was interesting and remunerative." The son had a similar wandering spirit. "My avocado did not fall too far from the tree," Kachuck acknowledged. He studied music composition and briefly played keyboard — three days in 1976 — with the Pointer Sisters. He then moved to New York to compose music for a girlfriend's dance company until his curiosity about how the brain works led him to neurology. Next came medical school, graduating from USC in 1987. When he got involved in ACA Groves about 15 years ago, his dad was grateful. "For the first time in his life, he was finally sharing the business with somebody," Kachuck said. Before long, though, Israel was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. He died in 2021 at 92. Though he'd been addled by the ailment, he understood that his son had managed to preserve the family business. "The saving of the family legacy was a very important obligation I felt," said Kachuck, who added, with a laugh, that he had also hoped the business would ensure his children "had more than just a neurologist's income to support their lifestyles." Kachuck immersed himself in a wide-ranging education in avocados, from their agronomy to the unlikely backstory of their California triumph. Once known as the alligator pear, the avocado traces its history to southern Mexico, where the fruit, according to some experts, was first cultivated about 5,000 years ago. (In Nahuatl, avocado is ahuacatl, sometimes defined as "testicle.") Though it is not native to California, the avocado is arguably as tied to the state's identity as the orange once was. This is thanks to the venerable Hass variety, discovered in the 1920s by a Pasadena mail carrier-turned-grower, Rudolph Hass. His namesake variety accounts for 95% of avocados consumed in the U.S. The proliferation of Mexican and other Latin cuisines cemented the avocado's position as an American staple — largely via guacamole. But the fruit hit some speed bumps on its path to ubiquity. Amid an obsession with low-fat diets in the 1980s, avocados were spurned by many — even though their fats are mostly unsaturated. Enter: the California Avocado Commission, which is overseen by the California Department of Food and Agriculture and whose main responsibility is to market and promote the state's fruit. In the 1990s, the commission — which is funded by an assessment of the gross dollar value of California avocados sold — invested in research to establish the fruit's health efficacy, said avocado farmer Duane Urquhart, a commission board member at the time. Once the avocado's nutritiousness was established, Urquhart said, the commission launched a marketing and education campaign to teach consumers how to use them, even working with cooking schools to develop recipes. "That," he said, "was when we really created the U.S. market for California avocados." Now praised as a superfood, avocados are at turns revered and vilified. Consider the endless disparaging of millennials over their avocado toast. But that hasn't stopped anyone from eating them. The avocado's rise had an unintended consequence: Business interests in Mexico took notice. As inexpensive Mexican avocados flooded the state, many California growers looked to the avocado commission for help. But Kachuck felt its board of directors made major missteps. In late 2020, an agricultural trade attorney advised the commission's board that it could petition the United States International Trade Commission for import relief, which can include tariffs. Such a complaint, the attorney said, could prompt an investigation and have a "chilling effect on foreign competitors," recalled avocado farmer John Cornell, then a board member. But the avocado commission never took action. Writing in the commission's "From the Grove" publication in 2023, the board's then-chairman, Rob Grether, derided what he termed "fanciful fixes for foreign fruit flow." The California avocado industry's retail and food-service partners would oppose such efforts, he wrote. Kachuck was incredulous: "There was so much information about malfeasance in the Mexican avocado industry." Complicating matters were competing interests. Though many California growers complained about Mexican imports, some of their peers had avocado groves or related businesses in Mexico too. Other issues pitted farmers in the north — Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo and Ventura counties — against those south in San Diego and Riverside. This all came to a head when Growing Coachella Valley, a nonprofit advocacy group, asked the commission in 2021 to support California legislation that sought to hold imported agriculture to state health and environmental standards. But the commission's board never even voted on whether to support the legislation. According to minutes from a board meeting, a staff member said he and legal counsel determined that AB 710 was not in the commission's "best interest" in part because it would put the group in "a precarious position" with important retailers. Kachuck fumed. In February 2024, he called out the commission's board of directors at its meeting in Oxnard: "You betrayed my trust, that of our avocado growing community, and as well that of the American consumer." The California Avocado Commission did not respond to multiple interview requests; instead, a staff member referred The Times to minutes from its board meetings. Kachuck's comments at the Oxnard meeting galvanized a loose coalition of other unhappy growers, most of them in the San Diego area. They decided to fight the issue through the 2024 board election, with six seats up for grabs on a body composed of 20 members and alternates. Kachuck believed the election presented a realistic opportunity to shake up the commission. He sent out mailers and posted a get-out-the-vote appeal on the website of American Avocado Farmers, a group he and other growers formed last year. But only 14% of eligible voters cast ballots, Kachuck said, and just one of the candidates he and a handful of like-minded farmers had backed was elected. "It's awful," he said. "I'm spending money I don't have — it's borrowed money. At this point I am 80% through my retirement account." Kachuck's failure at the ballot box may stem in part from the geographical divide. In addition to comparatively plentiful and inexpensive water, northern farmers enjoy another advantage: a later summer harvest, which means their fruit is picked after the Mexican crop has inundated the market. The Southern California avocado harvest roughly coincides with that flood. Some farmers wonder if the gulf between the northern and southern poles of the industry is so wide that each region might be better served by having its own commission. Others are gearing up for a different vote: Every five years, the state's food and agriculture department holds a referendum that allows growers to decide whether the commission should continue to serve them. The next one will be held in spring 2026, a department spokesman said. And then there is the big elephant in the boardroom: President Trump's on-again, off-again tariffs. Kachuck pivoted to a new strategy in the meantime: In February, he and three other farmers sued Fresh Del Monte Produce, Calavo Growers and Mission Produce in federal court, alleging they violated the California Business and Professions Code by falsely marketing their avocados as "sustainably and responsibly sourced" when they actually come from Mexican orchards planted on deforested land. Jennifer Church, attorney for the plaintiffs, said that the case "is really about the American public being misled to the detriment of our local farmers." Fresh Del Monte, Calavo and Mission did not respond to requests for comment. But this month the companies filed a joint motion to dismiss the growers' lawsuit, arguing in part that the challenged statements are typical "corporate puffery," a legal term for exaggerated marketing claims that may not be objectively factual but are generally permissible. The fight over California's avocado industry has become Kachuck's focus — to the detriment of other pursuits. There are things he wishes he could work on, like cultivating the Reed avocado, a little-known variety that's about the size and shape of a grapefruit. "It's the most luscious, creamy, large and delicious avocado I've ever tasted," he said. He maintains 50 Reed trees, but doesn't sell the fruit, instead giving it away to friends and family. The Reed, Kachuck said, spoils quickly after being picked, but could be made hardier via genetic intervention, such as cross-breeding. Kachuck was in his element showing off the Reed trees during a visit to ACA Groves, taking obvious pleasure in the ranch's pastoral tableau. He crunched across alluvial soil in scuffed sneakers. A gust of wind turned an avocado tree into a viridescent blur. "I would love to concentrate on making a better avocado for us," Kachuck said. He noted that Reed avocados have something unique going for them: They are not commercially grown in Mexico. At least not yet. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
