the Beatty Blog

where automotive business strategy and politics collide

  • Back to the Future?

    A C.D. Howe Institute E-Brief on Canada’s Auto Strategy


  • Is Trump, or Something Else Behind the Rapid Decline of the Canadian Auto Industry?

    The Impact of USMCA’s regional content rules on Canada’s auto industry There is a narrative making the rounds in Ottawa that USMCA was a great deal negotiated during the first…


  • Dude, Where’s My T-shirt?

    Trump administration policies designed to protect US industry may renew supply chain chaos During the USMCA negotiations, American negotiators pressured Canada to raise the tariff exemption on individual low cost…


  • Trump Can’t Trade

    Without Trade Promotion Authority the President Can Only Raise Tariffs Hiding in plain sight in the fuss and furor over President Trump’s plan to announce “reciprocal” tariffs on April 2…


  • Existentialism and Tariffs

    Some stray thoughts from the front line of the trade war Timing is everything The 2024 sales numbers for North America are in and they revealed more of the same…


  • Navigating the New World of Tariffs

    Have you gone nose-blind? From a North American auto industry standpoint we have become increasingly used to vehicles being built here and traded “freely” between the North American partners. Yes,…


  • The New Golden Age of Tariff Engineering

    At least one industry is set to soar in the Trump era. Tariff engineering is a necessary component of any decision about where to manufacture a good. The availability of…


  • Countervail and Duty Remission

    Every good stick deserves a carrot. In a previous blog post I wrote about my view that Canada and the US should abandon content rules of origin in a future,…


  • Fun With Numbers

    How can the auto industry find a silver lining in a dark cloud? Auto sales in Canada reached an estimated 1.86 million vehicles in 2024 according to Desrosiers Automotive Consultants…


  • How I learned to love tariffs

    Everything old is new again. While using the language of trade liberalization and market access, free trade deals in North America have increasingly become platforms for trade manipulation and have…


About

In a career spanning politics, association management and senior leadership roles in the Canadian auto industry I have come to believe that nothing is ever as it seems. For better or worse, I will share those insights here.