Canada

The territories of Guadeloupe, Martinique, Saint Bartelemy (also known as Saint Barts) and Saint Martin will receive the benefits of the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (the Canada-EU CETA”) when the Canada-EU CETA is provisionally implemented on September 21, 2017.  A number of EU territories in the Caribbean are excluded from coverage of the Canada-EU CETA (such as Anguilla, Saint Maarten and Turks & Caicos). A number of the Caribbean islands affected by Hurricane Irma are independent and are not affected in any way by the Canada-EU CETA.

Canada should help regardless of whether the Canada-EU CETA eliminates or reduces duties on needed goods. This point of this blog article is merely to point out that our connections to the islands affected by Hurricane Irma is great and getting even stronger in some cases.

Canadian companies who manufacture softwood lumber, concrete, rebar, fasteners, dry wall, cabinets, paint and other goods should ask how they can help countries (the people in these countries), such as Barbuda, Saint Martin, Saint Maarten (I won’t include countries in the path of this devastating hurricane who are yet to experience her power). Canada must do something.  Canadians can do much to help those who have lost so much by a force of nature.