First of a series. This one outlines the series. Clear, easy to understand, including the importance of the hotly debated non-discrimination (MFN) principle. From the WTO's new chief economist
great idea! maybe he could tag along for the ride, film the journey, show the world!
Bangladesh is (by far) most exposed to disruptions of LNG shipments from Gulf
• Gas makes up >40% of country's energy mix and country relies heavily on Gulf supplies
• Pakistan and India also rely on Gulf supplies, but share of gas in these countries' energy mix is low
www.ft.com/content/78fb...
"The prime minister hasn't approved a pipeline" would be a stronger argument if anyone was proposing to build a pipeline.
As the cultural sector awaits a court ruling that could force streaming companies to redirect millions of dollars to help produce Canadian content, money has already started to quietly flow to select Canadian funding agencies, The Wire Report has learned:
www.thewirereport.ca/2026/03/09/c...
NEW piece from me @goodauth.bsky.social on the disastrous consequences of Trump and Rubio dismantling U.S. diplomacy. Managing the Iran War will be much harder; so will picking up the pieces. Diplomacy is a tool of war AND of peace.
(Loosely based on thread below.)
goodauthority.org/news/trump-a...
My Trade Secrets newsletter today. Trump has hit a highly networked 2020s economy with a crude 1970s shock, and while it's hard to be optimistic, the catastrophe in the Gulf hasn't actually crashed the rest of the world trading system yet.
as.ft.com/r/4f8ea5d5-0...
Given Trump’s disdain of G20 practices & themes, it’s reasonable to ask whether assembled leaders will project a semblance of unity or devolve into acrimony. Trump has a long list of grievances against groupings like the G20.
Zelensky said more Patriots were used in 3 days fighting Iran than used by Ukraine since 2022. Imagine how much Ukrainian energy infrastructure—and how many Ukrainian civilians—might have survived the winter if Trump had sent more Patriots to Ukraine rather than to a “war of whim.” wapo.st/4ui9QzJ
Carney may have impaled himself on the fence with his initial response, but it was far from whole hearted support, and his current stance is even less enthusiastic. Is Carney Derangement Syndrome a thing, I wonder?
What would be the cost if the Canadians were all pretending to be nice to get our guard down while they were plotting a surprise invasion to give us all health care?
We must defend ourselves against demonstrably fantastical scenarios.
more Brexit liberation
if parties treat an international agreement as "binding" it is, in practice, so I like @simonlester.com conclusion which gets at the real impasse in reforming WTO dispute settlement
oh just a thought if your plan for overthrowing the Iranian government depends on the Iranian public rising up, you likely shouldn't have defunded the American government run news agency that speaks in Farsi.
If we had continued the JCPOA, we would be having discussions with Iran to improve controls on nuclear materials, lessening sanctions, and generally integrating them into the world economy.
The moderates would be strengthening.
amazing shot by Canadians in Paralympic curling.
To give you a sense of how sensitive Alberta’s provincial budget is to global oil prices:
At the current 1-year forward strip for crude oil, Alberta’s budget would go from a $9B deficit to an **$8B SURPLUS**
Begs the question of whether AB should consider hedging these windfall gains at some point
March 8, 2026 - Tehran at sunrise today. But the sun is hidden behind a sky filled with smoke. After a night of intensive strikes on oil facilities, thick black clouds now hang over the city, turning morning into something that feels like night.
Canada must remember that the future is electricity, not fossil fuels
The latest from the Globe's business commentary, by Kevin Thomas: www.theglobeandmail.com/business/com...
good thread
@financialtimes.com refers to a paper "seen by the FT". Everyone can see it. It's a public document, here: docs.wto.org/dol2fe/Pages...
The figure shows the number of Canadian resident visitors returning to Canada from the US in each week of 2023, 2024, and 2025. Figures are in thousands of visitors. The percentage figure represents the change in 2025 relative to the average of 2023 and 2024. President Trump’s rhetoric about a possible acquisition of Canada and escalating trade tensions led to a 25% decline in Canadian visits to the US in 2025. This column uses smartphone foot-traffic data and employment records to explore how this negative demand shock affected US local labour markets, especially in the food services, retail, and leisure sectors. By mid-2025, establishments in areas with the highest share of Canadians among visitors employed roughly 6% fewer workers relative to establishments in less exposed markets, and spillover effects may imply even larger employment losses. The findings highlight a channel of harm that trade policy debates often overlook.
By mid-2025, US establishments in areas w/ the highest share of Canadians among visitors employed roughly 6% fewer workers relative to establishments in less exposed markets, w/ a 25% overall decline in Canadian visits to the US in 2025.
A Kurmann, E Lalé, J Martin
cepr.org/voxeu/column...
#EconSky
a nice antidote to everything else you'll read this morning
"The library may have presented itself as a yawningly worthy establishment, but — as with so many things in DC upon closer inspection — it proved to be delightfully barking mad."
Why did nobody report to me the surely game-changer of the Conservatives coming out for CANZUK, which might make, ooh, about 0.001% GDP difference given we already have trade deals with each of them... www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/market...
#WTOReform latest. Mar 10-11: the final WTO General Council meeting before the Yaoundé Ministerial Conference #MC14. Norway Amb. Petter Petter Ølberg has a 12-page pre-Yaoundé report, including:
1. Draft statement
2. Points for ministers to discuss
3. Work plan for after
4. Wide disagreements still
Huge NYT article on the back story of those two weeks in March/April 2025 when DOGE illegally terminated hundreds of NEH grants. Gift link!!
www.nytimes.com/2026/03/07/a...
Cutting aid to spend on defence sounds great to the bloke down the pub
But it never works
Aid is a pittance compared to defence budgets. Cut the entire aid budget to buy two tyres on a fighter jet
Canada’s defence budget is ~$80bn or 16% of federal budget. Aid is $6bn or 1.2%
"SHIT"
"FUCK"
"NO"
"FUCK"
"SHIT"
"FUCK"
