Blogs are opinion pieces and reflect their author’s views
These days the World Trade Organization (WTO) is facing many challenges. To say that it has fallen out of favour with the Trump Administration would be an understatement. The US is currently actively working to undermine the dispute settlement process of the WTO by blocking new appointments to the organization’s Appellate Body, on the grounds […]
Written by: Hugh Stephens
The USMCA finally came into effect a few days ago, on July 1, 2020, committing the US, Canada and Mexico to the treaty provisions the three countries agreed to in the 34 chapters, four Annexes and 16 side letters that comprise the text of the Agreement. Among its many provisions is Article 19.17 (in the […]
Written by: Hugh Stephens
In the ongoing war between US President Trump and Twitter over Twitter’s actions to fact-check one or two of the President’s more truth-stretching tweets, Trump has unveiled his chosen weapon to teach the social media platform a lesson. He is proposing to reinterpret elements of Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996. (I’ll […]
Written by: Hugh Stephens
The COVID-19 pandemic has thrown Canada and China together in ways that could not have been imagined three months ago. While the final chapter has not yet been written, it is clear that COVID-19 will have an indelible impact on the way that Canadians view China, for better and for worse. Maybe China will get […]
Written by: Hugh Stephens
As I sit here looking out my window at fresh daffodils and cherry blossoms, it is hard to imagine that a potentially deadly virus is stalking the land. Of course I am lucky to be where I am, on Vancouver Island where spring has arrived; in other parts of Canada and the world spring flowers […]
Written by: Hugh Stephens