CANADIANS URGE EXEMPTION FROM U.S. TRADE BILL
A group of Canadian lawmakers from
Ontario today asked their U.S. counterparts to exempt Canada
from the mandatory trade retaliation provisions in a major
trade bill being considered by the U.S. Congress.
    At a meeting of the Northeast-Midwest Coalition, an
organization of U.S. legislators, David Cooke, chairman of the
Ontario Parliament's Select Committee on Economic Affairs, said
the exemption would help trade relations.
    The trade legislation to be considered by the full House in
late April would require President Reagan to retaliate against
foreign unfair trade practices unless the trade actions would
harm the U.S. economy.
    Currently, Reagan can reject trade sanctions on any
grounds.
    Cooke, a member of the Liberal party, told the U.S.
congressmen, "I can understand (the trade bill). I think it has
to do with concerns you have with the other parts of the world."
    "I would suggest to you that we are your best friends. You
do not have those concerns with Canada and you should sincerely
consider exempting our country from that bill," he added.
    Canada is the United States' largest trading partner, with
two-way trade more than 113 billion dlrs in 1985, according to
the coalition. But the U.S. ran up a 23 billion dlr deficit in
manufactured goods that year compared to a 14 billion dlr
surplus in services trade with its neighbour.
 Reuter
