Biden’s election suggests a return to “normal” foreign relations after the dramatic four years of Donald Trump’s presidency. My question is, what will Biden’s foreign policy look like? And what are its implications for Canada? Basically, Biden aims to restore the US foreign policy while also adjusting to a world that has dramatically changed. 

Biden’s election relieves the immediate “disturbance” of Donald Trump’s presidency, but it does not necessarily clarify Canada’s foreign policy outlook. Canada still must establish its relative priorities between the continent that is the foundation of its prosperity and security. 

My friend Nick Garcia stated  “Changes to preferential trade agreements, the collapse of the World Trade Organization’s dispute settlement framework, increased domestic support for US farmers, and diplomatic tensions between the United States and China all shaped international trade flows and created an environment of policy uncertainty”. 

  The Biden administration will change course on several important trade policy issues. We discuss how these changes could affect the Canadian agrifood sector along a number of dimensions, including a return to multilateralism, re-engagement in better trade agreements, and movements toward a less aggressive and more predictable trade policy agenda. We expect Canadian agrifood trade flows under the Biden administration to exceed what they would have been under a second Trump admins.