XPost: can.politics, ont.politics, tor.general   
   From: ConsRCons@govt.cda   
      
   NO government has done as much damage to the economy of Ontario than the   
   current federal government of Stephen Harper.   
   His never-ending list of 'free trade' deals has either sold out   
   resources to foreign countries, exported huge job numbers to low-wage   
   countries, or in this case: is allowing competitive products into Canada   
   without making sure that Canada has equal access to the markets of those   
   foreign countries.   
      
   The man is a walking rightwing disaster for Canada and Canadian workers.   
     Work hard to make sure he doesn't survive to do it all over again   
   after the election in 2015.  Hang in there for Ontario, Kathleen Wynne.   
   ________________________________________________   
      
      
   Globe and Mail - January 31, 2014   
      
      
   Ontario demands relief in South Korea free-trade pact   
      
      
   Province wants federal government to do more to protect auto makers,   
   arguing the deal as it currently stands would 'negatively impact' the   
   industry in the province   
      
   Ontario is demanding the federal government do more to protect auto   
   makers in a new free-trade agreement with South Korea, arguing the deal   
   as it currently stands would "negatively impact" the industry in the   
   province.   
      
   Economic Development Minister Eric Hoskins says he wants Ottawa to   
   secure protections similar to ones the United States received in its own   
   deal with South Korea in 2011.   
      
   "This free-trade agreement, as negotiated by the federal government, may   
   not be good for the auto sector, may actually be quite challenging and   
   problematic and negatively impact the sector in Ontario and Canada," he   
   said in an interview Thursday. "If Michigan was important enough for the   
   Americans, then Ontario should be that important to Harper and the   
   federal government as well."   
      
   The wide-ranging agreement would see Canada phase out its tariffs in   
   exchange for South Korea doing the same. This would help some Canadian   
   businesses – particularly pork and beef exporters – while allowing South   
   Korean auto makers even greater access to the Canadian market.   
      
   Mr. Hoskins said he has no problem with getting rid of the auto tariffs,   
   but he wants guarantees Seoul will not slap other barriers on Canadian   
   vehicles, such as additional taxes.   
      
   To make sure they do not do this, Mr. Hoskins wants tariffs phased out   
   over a five-year period and a "snap-back" provision that would allow   
   Canada to raise its tariffs back up if South Korea puts any barriers in   
   place.   
      
   Sources familiar with the talks said one proposal on the table in   
   current negotiations calls for tariffs to be phased out over a period   
   shorter than five years.   
      
   A spokesman for federal International Trade Minister Ed Fast said Canada   
   will only approve a deal if it contains "tools" to stop South Korea from   
   imposing non-tariff barriers. He would not comment on the specific   
   measures Mr. Hoskins is asking for.   
      
   "We will only sign an agreement that's in the best interest of   
   hard-working Canadians including through the elimination of Korean   
   tariffs and creation of effective tools to counter non-tariff barriers   
   to trade," Rudy Husny wrote in an e-mail.   
      
   Auto makers have difficulty believing South Korea will eliminate or   
   reduce its non-tariff barriers in part because of actions that country   
   took after free-trade agreements with Europe and the United States came   
   into effect.   
      
   The offices of the top five import brands were raided by officials from   
   the Korea Fair Trade Commission earlier this year after their sales of   
   vehicles made outside South Korea rose to 10 per cent of the market. The   
   South Korean offices of BMW AG, Toyota Motor Co., Audi AG, Volkswagen AG   
   and the Mercedes-Benz division of Daimler AG were raided.   
      
   Officials from the Detroit Three auto makers have complained that South   
   Korean tax authorities launch audits of South Koreans who buy imported   
   cars, but it's not clear if that practice still persists.   
      
   Ford Motor Co. of Canada Ltd. president Dianne Craig has publicly spoken   
   out against the free-trade deal as it currently stands, and auto   
   workers' union Unifor has also raised concerns. Mr. Hoskins said he   
   spoke with Chrysler group chairman Sergio Marchionne at length about the   
   deal when the pair met at the Detroit Auto Show.   
      
   That Ontario is lining up behind auto makers is no surprise: On top of   
   the 93,000 jobs it estimates the sector has in the province, Queen's   
   Park has recently been trying to land more investment from them, as it   
   competes with U.S. states and Mexico, and has strong reasons to support   
   the car companies.   
      
   Canada's automotive imports from South Korea totalled $2.6-billion in   
   2012, while exports amounted to just $12.5-million.   
      
   Both Hyundai Auto Canada Corp. and Kia Canada Inc., the two South   
   Korean-based auto makers that sell vehicles in Canada, reduced their   
   imports of finished vehicles from that country last year.  But their   
   imports exceeded 100,000 vehicles.   
      
      
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