Beyond the Trade War: Building Canada’s Economic Edge

Webinar Summary

Canada’s trade relationship with the United States, once a clear advantage, has become a major economic vulnerability. As Prime Minister Carney looks ahead to build a shock-resistant trade diversification strategy for Canada, our abundant assets in clean energy, critical minerals and manufacturing offer a unique opportunity to merge industrial competitiveness with enhanced international trade.

What would a genuinely competitive Canadian trade policy require in an era of protectionism and trade wars? Where does Canada need to overhaul its own domestic policies — from export finance to trade infrastructure to capital incentives — away from overreliance on the U.S. market?

Join our expert panel as we examine what trade tensions mean for Canadian industrial policy, where Canadian and U.S. interests can still align, and what Canada must do at home to strengthen its economic sovereignty. We’ll explore a new tool identifying where strategic Canadian exports could face unmet demand in key middle-power markets, alongside new research from the Centre for Industrial Policy on where trade and industrial strategy converge. From electric vehicles and critical minerals to grid equipment and clean manufacturing, we’ll dig into what these opportunities could mean for building a more resilient, competitive Canadian economy.

Moderator

Bentley Allan, PhD

Vice President, Future Economy

Bentley Allan, PhD, is a Transition Pathway Principal and Vice President, Future Economy at the Transition Accelerator, as well as an Associate Professor of Political Science at Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Allan is an award-winning scholar who has written on the dynamics of international order, science and politics, climate policy, and the political economy of decarbonization. He provides regular advice to government and industry on geopolitics, industrial strategy, and policy.

He has co-lead the development of three sector strategies and roadmaps in collaboration with industry partners. He is the co-coordinator of the Centre for Industrial Policy which advances research and action to strengthen and mobilize Canada’s expertise in modern industrial policy, enabling strategic collaboration between government, industry, indigenous communities, labor, and financial institutions in pursuit of good jobs and a competitive economy.