5 ms·

> In Canada, our anti-trust regulator is completely feckless and captured by industry. For non-Canadians, this is by design, our government carved out NAFTA-ex

> In Canada, our anti-trust regulator is completely feckless and captured by industry. For non-Canadians, this is by design, our government carved out NAFTA-exempt industries (Grocers, Dairy, Telecom, and Banking) during NAFTA negotiations, subsequently creating protected industries from which we now have oligopolies.

voisin 4y ago
I didn’t know this. When you say they were carved out, you mean carved out from being forced to allow other NAFTA member companies from entering the market at all? Or exempt from having to ensure anti-trust approval would meet international standards?
- Scoundreller 4y ago
  Effectively both. NAFTA and other trade agreements often let foreign corps initiate trade decisions that normally only a government could invoke. TransCanada is doing that against the US Gov for cancelling a pipeline project. The company will probably lose, but so much $ is at stake, so it makes sense to try.
Scoundreller 4y ago
They were always exempt from competition. We also didn't bother to open them up as a part of NAFTA, CETA, Canada-SK, etc. https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/corporate/publications-manuals/operational-bulletins-manuals/temporary-residents/foreign-workers/international-free-trade-agreements.html https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/co... Grocery itself has more competition than the rest (thank you Walmart), which is why you gotta be careful when making US shopping trips. I've found rice, oils, canned beans/tomatoes, carrots, bananas, potatoes, onions all cheaper in Canada. And every year, I get more and more non-perishable grocery stuff from Amazon.ca Fun fact: Canadians can import non-prescription meds by mail, officially up to 90d supply (so I address it to "Family Scoundreller"), so I cruise ebay for a lot of that stuff.
- voisin 4y ago
  > Fun fact: Canadians can import non-prescription meds by mail I am jealous of Americans and their 10,000IU Vitamin D pills. Canada limits the same to 1,000IU per pill. Would this be allowed to cross the border or no?
  - Scoundreller 4y ago
    Officially, no. If you're travelling yourself by car/air/rail/sea, it's incredibly unlikely the officer will even know there's a difference. Looking up the prescription regulations, only >2500 IU requires a prescription, so if you can find 2500s to import, that's over-the-counter and can be lawfully imported for 90d personal use. https://www.napra.ca/national-drug-schedules/?_nds_drug_name=vitamin https://www.napra.ca/national-drug-schedules/?_nds_drug_name... If you try to have 10000s mailed from USA by USPS, there's a very rare chance that it could be reviewed by Health Canada and they would deem it prescription-only and seize it, or they could "use their discretion" and still let it through anyway because seizing is a lot more paperwork. Don't bother with UPS or Fedex shipping into Canada. Ever. Note: if you're in Canada on a work/study permit, there are some exemptions allowing you to import non-narcotic prescription medications.
    - TMWNN 4y ago
      >Don't bother with UPS or Fedex shipping into Canada. Ever. Are you referring to brokerage fees? UPS does not charge brokerage fees if air shipping is used; basically, anything other than Standard qualifies.

voisin 4y ago

I didn’t know this. When you say they were carved out, you mean carved out from being forced to allow other NAFTA member companies from entering the market at all? Or exempt from having to ensure anti-trust approval would meet international standards?

Scoundreller 4y ago
Effectively both. NAFTA and other trade agreements often let foreign corps initiate trade decisions that normally only a government could invoke. TransCanada is doing that against the US Gov for cancelling a pipeline project. The company will probably lose, but so much $ is at stake, so it makes sense to try.

Scoundreller 4y ago

They were always exempt from competition. We also didn't bother to open them up as a part of NAFTA, CETA, Canada-SK, etc. https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/corporate/publications-manuals/operational-bulletins-manuals/temporary-residents/foreign-workers/international-free-trade-agreements.html https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/co... Grocery itself has more competition than the rest (thank you Walmart), which is why you gotta be careful when making US shopping trips. I've found rice, oils, canned beans/tomatoes, carrots, bananas, potatoes, onions all cheaper in Canada. And every year, I get more and more non-perishable grocery stuff from Amazon.ca Fun fact: Canadians can import non-prescription meds by mail, officially up to 90d supply (so I address it to "Family Scoundreller"), so I cruise ebay for a lot of that stuff.

voisin 4y ago
> Fun fact: Canadians can import non-prescription meds by mail I am jealous of Americans and their 10,000IU Vitamin D pills. Canada limits the same to 1,000IU per pill. Would this be allowed to cross the border or no?
- Scoundreller 4y ago
  Officially, no. If you're travelling yourself by car/air/rail/sea, it's incredibly unlikely the officer will even know there's a difference. Looking up the prescription regulations, only >2500 IU requires a prescription, so if you can find 2500s to import, that's over-the-counter and can be lawfully imported for 90d personal use. https://www.napra.ca/national-drug-schedules/?_nds_drug_name=vitamin https://www.napra.ca/national-drug-schedules/?_nds_drug_name... If you try to have 10000s mailed from USA by USPS, there's a very rare chance that it could be reviewed by Health Canada and they would deem it prescription-only and seize it, or they could "use their discretion" and still let it through anyway because seizing is a lot more paperwork. Don't bother with UPS or Fedex shipping into Canada. Ever. Note: if you're in Canada on a work/study permit, there are some exemptions allowing you to import non-narcotic prescription medications.
  - TMWNN 4y ago
    >Don't bother with UPS or Fedex shipping into Canada. Ever. Are you referring to brokerage fees? UPS does not charge brokerage fees if air shipping is used; basically, anything other than Standard qualifies.