Tennessee Voices, Episode 337: James Hill, consul general of Canada to the Southeast U.S.
Among the United States' most important international commercial relationships are with its neighbors to the north and south.
Canada has a $14.9 billion trading relationship with the U.S. in addition to being a key strategic partner and ally.
On this episode of the Tennessee Voices video podcast, Canadian Consul General James Hill spoke about that partnership, the relationship with Tennessee, and the effects of the Russian war against Ukraine on the globe and other world challenges.
Hill is based in Atlanta, but in addition to Georgia, his office serves Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama and the Carolinas.
The consul general explained that what galvanized the Tennessee-Canada relationship was the automotive industry.
Canadian companies supply parts and raw materials for the Volunteer State's powerful auto sector.
When the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was renegotiated as the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) during the Trump administration, Hill said it reaffirmed and enhanced the relationship between the three nations.
Hill also talked about how "unbridled globalization" is being rethought in the current age and why the consequences of war in Eastern Europe should concern every-day Tennesseans.
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The Tennessee Voices videocast is a 20-minute program, which started in March 2020 and invites leaders, thinkers and innovators who have written guest columns for a USA TODAY Network Tennessee publication to share their insights and wisdom with me and our viewers.
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David Plazas is the director of opinion and engagement for the USA TODAY Network - Tennessee. He is of Colombian and Cuban descent, has studied or worked in several Spanish-speaking countries, and was the founding editor of Gaceta Tropical in Southwest Florida. He has lived in Tennessee since 2014. Call him at (615) 259-8063, email him at [email protected] or tweet to him at @davidplazas.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Video podcast: James Hill, consul general of Canada, Southeast U.S.
