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Once again a major Canada-United States border crossing has been closed off. Yesterday evening, at around 08:00, a call was made warning of a bomb on the Ambassador Bridge. The bridge reopened shortly after 01:00. Last Thursday a similar notification was given regarding the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel. In both instances no bomb was discovered.

The Detroit International Bridge Company has put forth the notion that these bomb threats are related to the Canada Border Services Agency cuts. The Customs and Immigration Union describes such accusations as "so perverse, it's laughable."

The Ambassador Bridge is North America’s busiest border crossing. It accounts for roughly 25 percent of all Canada-U.S. trade.

United States Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Thomas Donohue believes that the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) pact will be completed by 2013. His statement came on Friday, in advance of a planned trip to East Asia. 

Yesterday, the Canada-United States Detroit-Windsor Tunnel was shut down. For nearly four hours no one was allowed through. A bomb threat caused the delay.

Two weeks ago the World Trade Organization (WTO) Appellate Body announced its decision on the United States Country-of-Origin Labelling (COOL). Canadian Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz welcomed the decision, calling it discriminatory against Canadian livestock. 

In 2008 the U.S. implemented COOL. COOL required Canada’s, along with other countries’, livestock industry to apply a strenuous labelling practice. An immediate negative impact was felt by the Canadian livestock sector. 

Minister Ritz said: “We are pleased with today’s World Trade Organization appeal decision in favour of our livestock industry.”

An American official that attended the latest Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) talks expressed content at the “significant progress” made. The governments will now have to approve the progress made by their officials at the talks. 

Copyright protection laws were the key issue discussed and American officials made it clear that it is President Obama’s priority. Limits will be set and some exceptions allowed. As demonstrated by these talks, copyright law has moved past compensating authors for their work. Other issues discussed include agriculture and financial services.

Canada, along with Mexico, will join the TPP talks later this year.

There is a prairie stretch in almost every direction at the border where TransCanada wants its Keystone XL pipeline to be. The total population of the closest Canadian town, Val Marie, with that of America’s Loring, is 146 individuals. Affecting almost no one, the pipeline would be running in close proximity to these two locations.

The Canadian Press-Harris Decima’s latest poll shows that most Canadians have a favourable opinion of Prime Minister Stephen Harper when it comes to Canada-U.S. relations. 

A 64% majority of those polled feel like PM Harper’s approach is working. Support was demonstrated to be bipartisan. 

United States President Barrack Obama also showed favourable polling among the Canadians surveyed. 53% believe that President Obama has improved relations. In addition, 68% said they would vote for President Obama if they could for the upcoming elections, compared to Romney’s mere 10%.

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US-Canada trade has increased by 37.8 % from 2009 to 2011. In one year, Canadian exports to the US have increased by 13%, or $41 billion. In addition, Canada remains America’s most important source of energy, from 99% of the imported electricity to 27% of all foreign oil imported. Canada beats out Saudi Arabia by 15% in foreign oil imports to America.

Ambassador Jacobson believes that "the relationship between the United States and Canada has never been stronger.”

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The American Chamber of Commerce in Canada (AmCham Canada) - Ontario Chapter - has selected SocialCues to partner with and undertake a comprehensive social engagement strategy to grow the organization.  AmCham Ontario is pleased to announce The SocialCues, a digital media and social engagement firm as its digital agency partner. With the Toronto-based agency on board, AmCham Ontario is now primed to establish their vision of being a vibrant part of a connected network, complete with an active membership community across Canada, the United States, and around the world. SocialCues’ deep business-to-business expertise leading multi-channel digital strategies were key factors in the decision.

“AmCham was seeking a strategic partner to help create a comprehensive digital and social engagement strategy across various digital platforms, channels and devices,” said Rob Landsmann, Communications Director, AmCham Ontario. “SocialCues brings a breadth and depth of expertise in social media and they presented tremendously innovative ideas backed by analytics,” he added.

AmCham is a classic American brand with clear values and a global corporate following that sets the pace for the commerce related association industry.  For over a decade, AmCham Canada has met the needs of cross-border business executives in Canada and in the US.  AmCham Ontario is devoted to meeting the needs of senior executives and business professionals with the most innovative events and robust business building opportunities available.

“AmCham Ontario’s decision to work with SocialCues will empower the chapter’s leadership team with the ability to truly engage with current and prospective members,” says Patrick Lewin, CEO, SocialCues.  “AmCham Ontario will become a known quantity when organizations are considering who best to assist them with their cross-border growth aspirations.”

”As an all volunteer organization, we are delighted with the SocialCues partnership,” said Daintry Springer, Chapter Chair, AmCham Ontario.  “Our members will benefit from over 14 years of digital experience the firm brings to help the organization leverage digital technology bringing the brand to life online, and increasing member engagement.”

Just recently Canada joined got a seat at the table of the TPP talks after extensively lobbying the American government. 

The TPP talks have been hailed as the most important free trade since NAFTA.

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