The CEO of the Halifax Chamber of Commerce says the business community is feeling hope after the democrats swept the U.S. midterm elections.
Democrats gained more than 30 seats Tuesday, giving them a solid majority in the House of Representatives. Key wins were in North and South Carolina, Texas, Ohio and Kansas.
In an interview with Acadia News on Thursday, Don Bureaux says since President Donald Trump was elected, it’s been a time of uncertainty – but now there could be a shift.
“There’s feeling that even in the past 48 hours that with this change in the political landscape in the United States, that the U.S. may be coming to the table with a more, shall we say, fair deal for both sides,” says Bureaux.
He says there is a big sigh of relief that come the new year – when the winners of the election are sworn in – there may be more predictability with what’s happening south of the border.
Since Trump took office, he’s implemented a slew of tariffs.
But it was in August when friction between Canada and the U.S. reached at an all-time high after a trade war was ignited when a deal collapsed. Ottawa says what was offered threatened our country’s sovereignty.
However, now Bureaux says there’s been a number of comments that our prime minister is on the right track, making sure we sign the right agreement.
“There is recognition that some of the trade policies that have been put forward over the past couple of years may be tampered own,” explains Bureaux.
But as for the days of true free trade that we had for many decades, “we think those days are gone.”
-with files from Randy Thoms
