The first round of 5-day negotiations to modernize the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) concluded on August 20. In a joint statement released by trade officials from the United States, Mexico and Canada, they restated the commitment to updating the deal, continuing domestic consultations, and working on draft text. They also committed to a … Continue Reading
Status: Clearance Acquirer: NOVA Chemicals, Inc. (Canada); International Petroleum Investment Company (UAE) Acquired: Williams Olefins LLC (US) Value: Approx. US$2.1 Billion Industry: Chemicals… Continue Reading
Status: Clearance Acquirer: AES Corp. (US) and Alberta Investment Management Corp. (Canada) Acquired: FTP Power LLC (US) Value: US$853 Million Industry: Energy UPDATE: On July 25, 2017, AES and Alberta Investment Management announced that they had completed “the previously announced acquisition of FTP Power LLC d/b/a sPower (‘sPower’) for approximately $853 million in … Continue Reading
Status: Clearance Acquirer: Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (Canada), the Public Sector Pension Investment Board (Canada), the National Pension Service of Korea (Korea) and The Blackstone Group L.P. (US) Target: TeamHealth Holdings, Inc. (US) Value: US$6.1 billion Industry: Healthcare UPDATE: On February 6, 2017, TeamHealth Holdings, Inc., announced the closing of its acquisition … Continue Reading
On May 18, 2017, US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer formally notified the US Congress of President Donald Trump’s intent to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). In letters transmitted to senior Congressional leaders, Ambassador Lighthizer pledged that the administration will consult closely with Congress to ensure its negotiating positions are consistent with the … Continue Reading
Status Update: Clearance Acquirer: Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp. (Canada) Acquired: Empire District Electric Company (Missouri, U.S.) Value: Approx. US$2.4 billion Industry: Energy; Regulated Utilities UPDATE: In a recent securities filing by Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp. (Canada), it was reported that, in relation to its acquisition of Missouri based Empire District Electric … Continue Reading
President Donald Trump hosted the Canadian and Israeli Prime Ministers at the White House last week. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Secretary of Homeland Security John Kelly traveled to Mexico City this week to discuss trade and security matters. Cabinet Shuffle. Gen. Michael Flynn resigned as the National Security Advisor (NSA) last week, after … Continue Reading
On Monday, 13 February, President Donald Trump welcomed Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to the White House. President Trump hosted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Wednesday. The U.S. Senate confirmed Steven Mnuchin to serve as Secretary of the Treasury on Monday evening. Congress is scheduled to be in recess next … Continue Reading
On Friday, 20 January, businessman Donald J. Trump was sworn in as the 45th President of the United States of America. At the inauguration ceremony, President Trump stated: From this moment on, it’s going to be America First. Every decision on trade, on taxes, on immigration, on foreign affairs, will be made to benefit American … Continue Reading
Following through on one of his campaign promises, on Monday, January 23, President Donald Trump signed a memorandum formally withdrawing the United States from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement. It is anticipated that President Trump may issue a separate document regarding the United States’ intent to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) as early as … Continue Reading
Welcome to 2017. The 115th Congress convened on Tuesday, 3 January. U.S. businessman Donald Trump will be sworn in as the 45th President of the United States on Friday, January 20. Trump Transition News. President-Elect Trump continues to announce senior officials who will serve as part of his Administration. The Trump Transition Team noted at … Continue Reading
Status Update: Clearance Acquirer: Enbridge Inc. (Canada) Acquired: Spectra Energy Corp. (U.S.) Value: Approx. US$28 billion Industry: Energy; Regulated Utilities UPDATE: On December 21, 2016, Spectra Energy Corp announced the parties received notice from the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) “that it has concluded its review of the proposed combination of … Continue Reading
The Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs of Canada’s Parliament is reviewing Canada’s Freezing Assets of Corrupt Foreign Official Act and Special Economic Measures Act, two crucial pieces of sanctions legislation, including the process for designations, enforcement and monitoring mechanisms, and the impact of the sanctions. The Committee is set to assess the role and effectiveness … Continue Reading
Likely Major Policy Developments President-Elect Trump will enter the White House facing a dramatic decline in global trade growth. A recent World Trade Organization (WTO) report notes that 2016 marks the slowest pace of trade and output growth since the 2008 financial crisis. WTO Director-General Roberto Azevêdo called slowing trade growth “a wake-up call,” especially … Continue Reading
Russia has renewed its embargo on food imports from several of the countries that have imposed sanctions on Russia, until 31 December 2017. The countries include Member States of the EU, the US, Canada, Australia, Norway, Albania, Montenegro, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Ukraine. Russia first introduced the embargo in 2014 as a counter-measure to sanctions imposed by western governments in protest … Continue Reading
