VZCZCXRO6517
RR RUEHGA RUEHHA RUEHMT RUEHQU
DE RUEHVC #0205/01 2312003
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 192003Z AUG 09
FM AMCONSUL VANCOUVER
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5287
INFO RUCNCAN/ALL CANADIAN POSTS COLLECTIVE
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC
RUEHVC/AMCONSUL VANCOUVER 7854

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 VANCOUVER 000205 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR WHA/CAN 
STATE PASS TO USTR 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ECON CA ETRD OVIP
SUBJECT: CODEL BOEHNER HEARS THE CANADIAN SIDE ON BUY AMERICA 
 
REF: OTTAWA 440 
 
VANCOUVER 00000205  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1. (U) Summary: A Congressional Delegation (Codel) headed by 
House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) met with Canadian 
business, municipal and provincial representatives to discuss 
the impact of ARRA Buy America provisions on cross-border trade. 
The Codel heard first-hand accounts of how Buy American erodes 
integrated supply chains, with loss of business to Canadian 
companies and their U.S. suppliers. Canadian presenters 
expressed concern over a broadening of Buy America sentiment, 
with similar regulations creeping into other legislation and the 
attitude spreading into the general American market place. They 
warned of a brewing trade war as Canadian unions and 
municipalities pressure their own government to implement Buy 
Canada regulations. And they urged quick action to halt the 
spread of protectionism, pointing out that while other regions, 
such as Europe and Asia, are using integration to become more 
powerful in the market place, North America is going in the 
opposite direction and poised to lose its competitive edge. End 
Summary. 
 
¶2. (U) Representatives from the Canadian Manufacturers and 
Exporters Association (CME), the Pacific Northwest Economic 
Region (PNWER), the city of Surrey and the BC Ministry of Small 
Business, Technology and Economic Development, met with Codel 
Boehner on August 12 to discuss Canadian concerns over Buy 
America legislation. Jayson Myers, President and CEO of CME, 
told the Codel that supply chains between Canadian and U.S. 
companies were so integrated that any loss of business by 
Canadian companies had immediate repercussions on U.S. 
suppliers. Currently the U.S. has a trade surplus with Canada, 
but the potential for lost business from Buy America will lead 
to Canadian companies cutting back on U.S. inputs, both parts 
and raw materials, affecting the trade balance. 
 
¶3. (U) CME members at the meeting gave first-hand accounts of 
negative impacts already felt because of Buy America. Company 
representatives noted that even if the rules don't apply, the 
provisions are so confusing Canadian companies are suffering 
loss of business as "Buy America" attitudes spread into all 
sectors. They expressed concern about expansion of the 
provisions into other legislation, such as the Water Quality 
Investment Act and the Green Schools Act. Members from the water 
management sector relayed how U.S. municipal contracts, once the 
mainstay of their business, had all but dried up. One producer, 
who buys gear boxes from Wisconsin and motors made in Georgia, 
is facing substantial cuts in these procurements because he no 
longer has the contracts to support purchasing inputs in the 
U.S. 
 
 
¶4. (U) Another fear is an escalating trade dispute, as Canadian 
municipalities and labor unions make louder and louder calls for 
reciprocal trade practices. A CME member relayed how one of his 
key pipe suppliers from the U.S., who had been doing a booming 
business in Canada where the current market is more robust, has 
seen a dramatic decrease in orders as Canadian municipalities 
begin buying Canada only. Dianne Watts, Mayor of the border town 
of Surrey, south of Vancouver, warned that the Canadian 
Federation of Municipalities (CFM) already had adopted a "Buy 
Canada" resolution and as the situation now stands, the CFM 
resolution is likely to be formally endorsed at leadership 
meetings in the fall (ref). 
 
 
¶5. (U) PNWER Executive Director Matt Morrison provided the Codel 
with four recommendations developed by the organization that 
they believed could be adopted by OMB as part of its ARRA 
implementing regulations that could mitigate the negative impact 
of the legislation: 
 
 
a. final Section 1605 rules should require state and municipal 
governments to follow the same international procurement 
agreements to which the federal government is party; 
 
 
b. support a definition of 'manufactured good' and 'component' 
that reflects how integrated global supply chains create U.S. 
jobs, as many U.S. corporations have final production facilities 
abroad that use mostly US inputs, and domestic manufacturers 
often employ thousands in the final production facilities, but 
use some foreign inputs; 
 
 
c. OMB should provide waivers to projects if only one domestic 
producer exists for a specific implement, as monopolies threaten 
to balloon project costs, limiting the reach and effectiveness 
of ARRA projects; and, 
 
VANCOUVER 00000205  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
 
 
d. encourage a Section 1605 administrative process that quickly 
funds ARRA projects. The 'Buy America' rules should be simple 
and clear, applying equally to federal, state, and local 
governments. Recovery projects will benefit if project 
contractors can source the same materials across various 
jurisdictions. OMB should also publicize current exemptions and 
waivers where products and components are not covered by the Buy 
America requirement. 
 
 
Morrison also highlighted that public and private sector 
entities in Canada and the U.S. have already expressed concern 
over Buy America's impact on mega-projects in development, such 
as the Alaska natural gas pipeline, with companies and state and 
provincial parties worried about severe monetary and regulatory 
costs. 
 
 
¶6. (SBU) Robert Musgrave from the BC Ministry of Small Business 
informed the group that the GOC was preparing a proposal for the 
USG, which would request an exemption for Canada on Buy America 
in exchange for multiple guarantees on the Canadian side. 
Musgrave stated that the BC provincial government contributed to 
the proposal guarantees of open markets for all provincial 
procurement, including BC crown corporations. Although he gave 
no details, he indicated that other provinces were following 
suit with similar offers. Jock Finlayson from the BC Business 
Council pointed out to the Codel that they should not forget 
capital investment. He noted that four million jobs in the U.S. 
depend on capital investment from Canadian companies and any 
protectionist measures could have a significant impact on the 
capital flowing across the border. 
 
 
¶7. (U) Several Codel members remarked that they support free 
trade but it is difficult to argue for free trade when so many 
companies are closing and moving operations to lower-wage 
countries such as Mexico and China. The members added that many 
employees in the U.S. do not realize their jobs are created by 
trade and therefore vulnerable to trade wars. They encouraged 
companies to educate their employees on the positive benefits of 
trade.  Congressman Boehner told the group that despite our 
differences over this issue, the U.S. and Canada should continue 
to work on strengthening their relationship. He noted that he 
represents a significant agricultural constituency and farmers 
in particular really understand the benefits of free and fair 
trade. He added that trade is not a zero sum game, but should be 
beneficial to both sides. 
 
 
 
¶8. (U) Codel Boehner cleared on this cable. 
HILL