Buy American Policy

Every time this subject comes up in Washington the Canadian media gets up in arms and our Government starts politicizing the policy, not for Americans, but for Canadians.

It means nothing....... "NOTHING"

Buy American is NOT new nor is it reserved to just America, Canada and Canadians do the same thing. Remember, patriotism trumps free trade every time.


Prior to the Free Trade Agreement we had tariffs and duties that balanced the product prices and in some cases made them higher forcing companies to buy within their own country. Both countries thrived.


Then there was Jesse Helms. America didn't need a buy American policy as long as he was in the house. But that's another story.


In the seventies I worked for a major steel fabricator in Quebec, we had three main suppliers of steel.... Stelco, Sidbec-Dosco (formerly Dominion Steel and Coal) and Dofasco. Off shore steel was unacceptable by Canadian Government standards and that included steel from the U.S. We were fabricating and supplying projects for the Government of Canada at Mirabel, the Federal buildings in Hull and the Bank of Canada building in Ottawa. There was a shortage of billet steel, large blocks of raw steel that is milled into the final product.


A shortage of billet in Canada meant we were unable to adequately supply our job sites. A quick call to our favorite Canadian politician freed up the "Buy Canadian" policy and 16,000 tons of US steel landed in our yard.


Fast forward to the 1990 World economic collapse. I was now managing a company in Toronto and was trying to expand into the US market place. Really poor timing. I was the specified product at the Pentagon. Guaranteed sale Right? Not! When I went to see the General Contractor for the project I was informed that we were NOT getting the order. When I told him it was a tight spec and he had to buy our product I was told.... "I don't give a shit what the Government says, I am buying American, now get out of here".


So folks as I said earlier Patriotism trumps policy every time.

Now go out there and buy.... 

R Hawkins