Publications: Rodrigo Balbontin

The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation’s Centre for Canadian Innovation and Competitiveness (CCIC) appreciates the opportunity to contribute to Global Affairs Canada’s consultation on a potential Canada-Mercosur Free Trade Agreement.

U.S. semiconductor export controls swing unpredictably between administrations, undermining innovation and security. The solution is a clear, bipartisan strategy that narrowly restricts the most sensitive technologies while allowing U.S. chipmakers to compete globally.

Despite evidence to the contrary, a persistent narrative during the past two administrations has been that corporate power is getting increasingly concentrated, ergo antitrust breakups are warranted. But the latest Census Bureau data once again puts the lie to that argument.

China has failed to meet its commitments under the U.S.-China POA. It is not a reliable trade partner, as potential commitments to reverse its predatory practices are antithetical to its long-term techno-economic project.

The joint U.S.–South Korea fact sheet makes clear that Seoul must move away from DMA-style platform regulations and uphold its pledge to ensure fair, non-discriminatory treatment of U.S. digital firms.

The USMCA strengthens America’s position to compete with China. First, by enabling U.S. manufacturers to source inputs from Canada and Mexico at lower cost. Second, by weakening China’s manufacturing capacity as it incentivizes firms to reshore production to North America and substitute Chinese imports with inputs or final products made within the region.

Huawei is a more innovative company today than it was before the U.S. government sought to choke its supply chain. This case should serve as a lesson: U.S. techno-economic power is weaker than most think, and sanctions often hurt U.S. competitiveness more than China’s.

For the EIA to succeed, the Commission needs to address Europe’s broader economic policy environment. The EU’s reliance on the precautionary principle has entrenched a risk-first mindset that slows innovation and diverts resources away from competition and quality improvement.

ITIF recommends that USTR include Temu, AliExpress, and SHEIN on the 2025 Notorious Markets List because all three platforms meet USTR’s criteria as notorious online markets. They facilitate systemic trafficking in counterfeit goods, harming U.S. right holders, undermining fair competition, and placing U.S. consumers at risk.

This report ranks more than 200 regions across Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, and the United States on 13 commonly available indicators of innovation competitiveness, and offers policymakers a guide to bolstering regional and national innovation capacity.