Loopholes: Maple‑washing and Foreign Subsidiaries

Mark Carney is busy trying to Trump-proof Canada with a flurry of trade deals and whispers of a mega anti-Trump alliance linking Europe and the Indo-Pacific. Trade researcher Stuart Trew joins host Noor Azrieh to argue that more free trade isn’t a master plan; it’s diminishing returns with nicer branding.

Plus, Ottawa reporter Sam Konnert breaks down Canada’s newly released Defence Industrial Strategy: 70% Canadian content, massive growth targets, and a promise to rebuild both the military and the domestic defence industry at the same time. The catch? Canada’s notoriously slow procurement system, and big questions about bureaucracy, “maple-washing,” and whether Ottawa can actually move at the speed it’s promising.

Host: Noor Azrieh

Credits: Aviva Lessard (Senior Producer), Sam Konnert (Host/Producer), Noor Azrieh (Host/Producer), Mia Johnson (Producer), Caleb Thompson (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), Max Collins (Director of Audio) Jesse Brown (Editor), Tony Wang (Artwork)

Guests: Stuart Trew

Background reading:

• Carney constructs a mega anti-Trump trade alliance – POLITICO
• Trump forces a rewrite of Canada’s trade strategy – POLITICO
• John Ivison: Canada's pivot to Europe for trade gains traction as Trump loses momentum – National Post
• Deconstructing the Defence Industrial Strategy - Philippe Lagassé’s Substack
• U.S. Supreme Court decision on Trump's tariffs could bring more trade uncertainty to Canada – CBC News
• Canada’s defence industrial policy would rather Buy Canadian than Buy the Best  – The Globe and Mail
• Canada’s New Defence Strategy Is Bold and Unprecedented. Will It Work? – The Walrus

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