New projects popped up like dandelions this summer and Dawson Strategic enters the fall with a full workload of interesting commercial and trade policy issues.
Recent publications include papers on the effects of current trade negotiations on the Canadian pharmaceutical industry, and prospects for Canada in the Trans-Pacific Partnership. We have a forthcoming paper on Alberta’s recruitment of skilled workers from the U.S. to fill labour shortages.
Increasingly, our client work is drawing us into new economic issues such as the nexus between trade and security, the digital economy, prospects for fulfilling the Canada-US perimeter security plan, and the role of states/provinces in binational supply chains. At the regional level, we have been very involved in the development of the Council of the Great Lakes Region, and look forward to continuing involvement on CGLR’s economic and border projects.
At the national (or tri-national) level, Laura is working with Chris Sands and Duncan Woods on a paper that reimagines NAFTA and proposes a new framework for North American Competitiveness. It will be released at a trilateral conference in San Diego at the end of October.
Also, don’t forget that public submissions are being sought by the U.S. and Canada on next steps for the Regulatory Cooperation Council.
The team at Dawson Strategic is bidding farewell to our wonderful research director, Stefania Bartucci. Stef was responsible for keeping the DS trains on track and led some of our most important research projects, particularly on energy, pharmaceuticals and a market guide for new exporters. She is off to work on interesting policy issues at Finance Canada and we will miss her greatly.
In the meantime, Yamily Camacho and Rory Morrison will be managing our administration and communications and we will shortly be adding a new economic analyst and a senior commercial specialist to the team.
We are also pleased to welcome Eric Benjaminson as a consulting associate. Eric brings more than 20 years experience with the U.S. foreign service, most recently as the United States Ambassador to Gabon, São Tomé and Principe. Eric has written a practical guide to doing business in Africa and we look forward to presenting it in Ottawa, Montreal, and Toronto in the coming months.
The Ubuntu, who count among their numbers Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu, have a saying: “I am what I am because of who we all are.” Lately I have felt this very keenly. Thank you all for your continuing insight, support and advice.
Laura Dawson
