Unlike the relationship between the European nations, which has led to the creation of institutions with clearly stated priorities and goals, the Unites States-Canada integration is less direct and formal. Trade between the nations is managed FTA while defense relationship is controlled and managed by NATO.
This is a clear indication that the integration between the nations is not as beneficial it should (Dyck 15). With the current economic sphere, integration has become something obvious. The benefits of integration occur when trade is the factor leading to the integration. However, the relationship between the United States and Canada has not anticipated any economic linkages.
The last two decades have seen a situation whereby there is decreased trade between the two nations. This indicates that issues such labor mobility have remained limited. The two nations do not have a common international tariff thereby affecting the business in the region.
These tariffs have made it impossible for the nations to conduct successful trade thus making the integration less beneficial to the nations. “The European integration is currently beneficial to the economy of the region because of unregulated trade and labor movements (Dyck 72)”. The presence of a common currency has also increased the benefits of the European Union.
The United States and Canada do not have a common currency. This has resulted in a situation whereby there is no maximum benefit from the integration between the two nations. It is also important to observe that each government makes its own foreign policies and economic procedures.
This means that the trade between the two countries is strictly formal and does not promote the success of the two economies. Dyck (34) believes that the “two nations did not pursue a greater integration in their economic activities and the reason the countries are yet to realize what is called political integration”.
It is clear that increased integration in economic activities will help to promote economic development and sustainability. Since Canada is an important partner in trade, it is necessary that the two countries guarantee each other access to the markets and reduce the tariffs that are in place currently.
It is also notable that the integration between the two nations is not promoting foreign investment. “This is a clear indication that the integration has not been beneficial to the two nations (Dyck 56)”. This is because of the foreign policies applied by the two nations.
Another important observation is that the two countries usually have different opinions over certain issues such as the Invasion of Iraq and the Vietnam War. These differences have affected the relationship between the countries thereby making their integration formal.
This is because the relationship relies on formal policies and guidelines. “Majority of the Canadians have the strong belief that the system applied by the American government is very controversial (Dyck 83)”. This explains why the country has embraced a healthier integration with other nations apart from the United States.
The politics in Canada have also continued to affect the relationship of these two nations. This is because the country focuses mainly on its political agenda rather than the benefits of foreign relationships. “The economic patterns in Canada show that the country focuses only on self-sufficiency (Dyck 102)”.
This is yet another reason why the integration between these two nations has remained less fruitful or beneficial to the countries. In conclusion, I believe that Canada’s integration with the United States has not been beneficial at all.
Works Cited
Dyck, Rand. Canadian Politics: Critical Approaches. New York: Nelson Thompson Learning, 2008. Print.