On January 20th 2017 Michael Woods participated in the Bridging International Human Rights, Trade and Investment Law Roundtable in Ottawa. This by invitation event was organized by the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI) and the Human Rights Research and Education Centre at the University of Ottawa. The roundtable featured experts from government, academia, and private practice. The participants reviewed recent developments in international economic and human rights including the adoption of the UN Sustainable Development Goals in September 2015 and recent developments affecting the international trading system, including the Brexit vote, the post-negotiation reaction to CETA, the Trump Administration’s position with respect to international trade. The primary focus of the experts was the evolving relationship between international human rights, trade and investment law. The group identified areas for further policy research and future collaboration. Michael shared his experience international trade and investment negotiations, including NAFTA, and investor-state-dispute settlement. He also discussed indigenous rights and international trade investment law in the context of his work on First Nationals and inter-tribal trade. He referenced his work with the International Inter-tribal Trade and Investment Organization and the important work of Risa Schwartz of the CIGI International Law Research Program, who served as one of the moderators. About CIGI: The Centre for International Governance Innovation is an independent, non-partisan think tank with an objective and uniquely global perspective. The group’s research, opinions and public voice make a difference in today’s world by bringing clarity and innovative thinking to global policy...
Read MoreMichael Woods Presents on NAFTA and Aboriginal Law at Global Tribal Trade Conference
Michael Woods participated in two panels discussing NAFTA and Canada’s First Nations U.S. Tribes at the Global Tribal Trade Symposium on November 11 and 12, 2016 at the Faculty of Law, Thompson Rivers University, Kamloops, BC. This is part of the International Inter-Tribal Trade and Investment Organization’s on-going series, online at: http://iitio.org/woods-nafta-global-tribal-trade/ Powerpoint slides for these two presentations are embedded below: International Trade Law and Aboriginal-Law (Part 1) from Woods, LaFortune LLP Internation Trade Law International Trade Law and Aboriginal-Law (Part 2) from Woods, LaFortune LLP Internation Trade...
Read MoreMichael Woods Presents at Inter-tribal Trade Conference
Michael Woods will be, participating in the second Inter-Tribal Trade Investment Organization (IITIO) Conference (November 11-12) hosted by the Faculty of Law at Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops British Columbia. He will be speaking on a panel chaired Ontario’s Minister of Indigenous Affairs and Reconciliation on the topic of “Mechanisms for the Implementation of International Trade. Michael will address the implications of Canada’s investment treaties and NAFTA Chapter 11 as recent Federal Court and Supreme Court of Canada rulings. He will also chair a panel with Government of Canada and United States officials on government trade programs and the potential for future for inter-tribal trade missions. For more details see the conference...
Read MoreMichael Woods Lectures on International Business at Algonquin College
Michael Woods has been engaged by the Faculty of Business at Ottawa’s Algonquin College where he teaches the course, Global Business Environment. Algonquin College of Applied Arts and Technology is a publicly funded college with an enrolment of over 60,000. It is a member of Polytechnics Canada and its School of Business has a long tradition of focusing on international business and trade as a major area of study. The course Michael teaches is part of Algonquin’s International Business Management Graduate Certificate Program. Earlier this year, Michael was named to the College’s International Business Advisory...
Read MoreWoods LaFortune Submission in the SIMA Review
The Department of Finance is currently conducting a review of the Special Import Measures Act (“SIMA”), the basis of Canada’s anti-dumping and countervailing duty system, and issued an Invitation to Interested Parties to submit their views on a “focused set of potential changes.” Although the SIMA review is intended to take all stakeholder interests into consideration, the issues raised in the Invitation focus on increased protection for domestic producers. For example, the Department has asked whether the current system provides sufficient protection to domestic producers and has proposed establishing scope and anti-circumvention inquiries and further restricting the CITT’s discretion to issue product exclusions; all of which will benefit domestic producers at the expense of other stakeholders. Periodic review of legislation is important, but legislation should only be amended when the amendments are necessary. In our view, amending SIMA to increase protection for domestic producers is questionable because they are well protected by the current system. That domestic producers benefit from the SIMA is clear from recent decisions which show that injury and threat of injury findings are made in the vast majority of cases, injury findings are generally extended following expiry reviews and the number of product exclusions granted is relatively low. Because domestic producers already receive more than sufficient protection from Canadian authorities, any additional protection is unnecessary and will raise trade barriers to the detriment of other stakeholders including other Canadian manufacturers, end-users and consumers and to the detriment of the Canadian economy overall. Because we believe that the proposed amendments to the SIMA would unnecessarily harm other Canadian stakeholders (i.e., manufacturers, importers, distributors, end-users and consumers) without providing any actual additional protection to domestic producers, we filed a submission in response to the Invitation to make the following points: i) We argued that the SIMA should not be amended to provide greater protection to domestic producers. ii) We argued that the proposed scope ruling process, which would allow parties to request an inquiry to determine whether an imported good is subject to an anti-dumping/countervailing duty finding, is not necessary. But, if the Department decides to institute this process, it should not be applied in a manner...
Read MoreMichael Woods Presents at Inaugural Conference on International Inter-Tribal Trade
On April 22, 2016, Michael Woods gave a presentation on the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) at the Inaugural Conference on International Inter-Tribal Trade at the Faculty of Law at the University of Oklahoma. The conference was organized with the assistance and hard work of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, the Mohawk Council of Akwensase, the Chickasaw Nation, the Law Faculties of the University of Oklahoma and Thompson River University and Donna William. Woods, LaFortune LLP joined other firms including Luksi Group LLC, Berkey Williams LLP, Garwill Law Professional Corporation as participants. Free-Trade / Fair Trade — From the 20th Century to 21st Century from Michael Woods The conference program [see attached] included the panel discussions of the Jay Treaty, Canada-U.S. Border Issues as they related to Frist Nations, Indigenous International Trade, and the relevance the NAFTA experience in the context of these topics. Michael joined Professor Taiawagi Helton of the University of Oklahoma and James Collard, Director of Economic Planning for the Potawatomi Nation, on the panel which addressed NAFTA. Michael addressed both ways to leverage NAFTA’s trade and investment provisions and strategies to ensure greater inclusion in on-going and future negotiations. The consensus of the participants was the further discussion and practical steps are needed and the Faculty of Law Thompson River University has offered to host the next conference in Kamloops, British Columbia this Fall. Woods, LaFortune LLP remains committed to this International Inter-Tribal Trade process and to on-going participation in the field of First Nation and Indigenous commerce and international trade. Earlier Gordon LaFortune the firm’s managing partner made a joint submission with Wayne Garnons-Williams of Garwill Law in the context of the Specific Claims Tribunal Act Five Year...
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