'Uncertainty is never a good thing': MPs, senators reach out to U.S. lawmakers

Canadian MPs and senators plan to stress the importance of trade when they meet with their U.S. counterparts in the weeks following Donald Trump's inauguration as president.

Members of the Canada-United States Inter-Parliamentary Group are expected to gather in Washington sometime before spring for wide-ranging talks on issues important to both countries.

But trade will be the biggest concern for Canadian officials. 

"Our economies are inter-linked through supply chains, and when one does well, the other does well. So we need to keep that in mind, both on our side and theirs," said Liberal MP Wayne Easter, who co-chairs the group.

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"If they're going to do well, we're part of their doing well, and people need to understand that," Easter told CBC News during an interview in his office.

The group brings Canadian MPs and senators together with their American counterparts in the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate. Members typically discuss issues of common concern as a way to strengthen ties between countries.

"I guess I'll put it this way, I think our role has become much more intensive," Easter said about the group's work in the wake of Trump's election win.

The president-elect has described NAFTA as a disaster and has called for the free-trade deal to be renegotiated. Trump's nominee for commerce secretary, Wilbur Ross, said "NAFTA is logically the first thing for us to deal with" during his confirmation hearing on Wednesday.

Easter described Wilbur's testimony as "interesting to say the least," adding "it provokes some concern."

'Collateral damage' 

While Trump's anti-trade rhetoric has been aimed mostly at Mexico, there are renewed warnings that changes to NAFTA could have consequences for Canada. 

"Usually if you're talking about renegotiating an existing trade agreement, the idea would be to negotiate it to make it work better for both sides, to make trade flow more smoothly ... but I don't think that's what the U.S. has in mind," said Matthew Kronby, a trade lawyer and partner at Bennett Jones LLP.

Mexico may be the target of rule changes, but Kronby adds Canada could end up as "collateral damage."

"We've got integrated supply chains throughout North America, and attempts to restrict trade with Mexico can also affect Canadian exporters to the U.S."

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But Easter has a different concern about some of the anti-trade rhetoric he's hearing from U.S. officials.

"They've been using this line that all the jobs are being lost because of Mexico, and other trading relationships. The jobs are really being lost more because of technology more than anything else," Easter said.

He did acknowledge some employers are moving to countries where labour is cheap and environmental standards are lax, but he insisted technology is a major factor changing the workforce. 

Easter also urged fellow Canadian legislators to look at the big picture when it comes to the new U.S. administration.

"Uncertainty is never a good thing. I think that's what we have to try and move through the next six months: re-establish some certainty in terms of our trading relationships, and our relationships with the rest of the world."