Be careful what you wish for ...

... President Barack Obama succeeded, after pressure from Canada and other U.S. trading partners, in persuading Congress to insert language into the stimulus legislation requiring that Buy American provisions respect America's international trade obligations under NAFTA and the World Trade Organization's government-procurement agreement.

Since those trade deals don't extend to state and local governments in the U.S., the Buy American rules are being broadly interpreted to disqualify foreign bidders.

In addition, the U.S. has approved rules excluding Canada from the list of nations from which some state and local governments can buy materials using stimulus-legislation money.

[...]

Banning Canadian companies from the U.S. waste-water industry could cause $3.7 billion Cdn in lost business, Clement said. But in their rush to stimulate the U.S. economy, protectionists in Congress have overlooked potential dangers to American businesses. More than $6 billion in U.S. exports to Canada in the waste-water industry could disappear if Canadian jurisdictions retaliate with trade rules barring American firms, he said.

"My understanding actually is that a lot of folks in the U.S. Congress didn't understand the enormity of what they were getting into when these (stimulus) budgets were passed through Congress in a very quick way," Clement said. "You know what, all I know is if this continues, it is going to be injurious to us, but it's also going to be injurious to them."

Already, the city of Halton Hills, Ont. — in response to complaints about Buy American from a local waste water equipment manufacturer — has responded by banning the purchase of all goods from any country that bars Canadian products. Other Canadian municipalities are considering similar measures.

"This is a huge market for Americans, and if that becomes subject to a Buy America situation, it actually hurts Americans more than it hurts the Canadians," Clement said. "A proper understanding of their own self-interest would indicate and dictate that they would be with us in resisting the protectionist pressures."

You know ...

• that Alberta oil y'all need
• Quebec hydro
• medical isotopes
• water
  
• raw, raw materials
• baby seal hides
  

... off the table.

Oh, and those exports you were counting on ...

• peanuts
• California and Florida citrus
• Jones New York
  
• avocado

... off my list.