FREE TRADE? Mexico’s Car Production Surges While Canada’s Falls
Mexico produced over 700,000 more cars than Canada in the first six months of 2017.
Car production in Canada has fallen by 2.4% compared to this time last year, while production in Mexico has surged by roughly 16% in that same time.In the first half of 2017, Mexico produced 1,926,930 – compared to 1,208,911 in Canada.
Meanwhile, car production in the U.S fell by 17%.
While the U.S. is still the largest vehicle manufacturer when including the production of SUV’s and trucks, the surge in car production in Mexico should raises serious questions in both Canada and the U.S.
Free Trade orthodoxy
The globalist elites who dominate the government and media remain obsessed with increasing free trade at all costs. I used to agree with that view, believing that “free trade” and “prosperity” went hand in hand. However, the more I’ve looked at what’s taken place the last 40 years or so, the more reason there is to doubt the free trade orthodoxy that’s been force-fed to us through the elitist media and politico-corporate establishment.While the global elite bankers and CEO’s have certainly benefited from the increase in global trade – which just happened to coincide with a dramatic rise in the size and power of international financial institutions – working class and middle class people have seen nothing but stagnation. Wages haven’t gone up in Canada in real terms for many decades now.
Jobs security is horrendous. Wealth is concentrated in fewer and fewer hands. Meanwhile, we are hit with more and more taxes and fees and restrictions and controls, all while being told how “prosperous” we are. And yet, that so-called “prosperity” is increasingly visualized by gleaming condo’s and corporate towers the vast majority of people will never be able to afford or set foot in.
How is this an improvement?
How do Canadians benefit when we sign agreements where our workers compete against countries that lack the same labour laws and protections that we do, and where workers are paid almost nothing? Why do we not put measures in place at the border to offset those costs? Why is it always the interests of global corporations that are considered, rather than our own citizens? And why is it that we are supposed to be afraid of “protectionism,” while leaving ourselves open to being bought out by other nations?
Our economy has shifted away from tangible products to a more ephemeral and unstable system that has increased the vulnerability of Canadian workers.
Now, the elites are making it even worse, pushing for free trade with China that will hurt Canadian workers even more, while imposing environmental regulations that raise the cost of doing business and kill of even more jobs and investment.
Questioning the dominant narrative
Canada has a hard-working and productive population, and an immense amount of resources. While it makes sense to have a smooth trading relationship with the U.S., it is time to start rethinking the free trade obsession. Building a stronger domestic market, and boosting trade and growth within our borders is something that has been abandoned by the elites for far too long.If more free trade means we lose more jobs and lose more production to countries like Mexico and China, it’s time to seriously question those who have pushed the free trade narrative for so long.
Spencer Fernando
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