Big Swiss businesses negotiated a tariff deal after their government had failed. Maybe Canadian businesses should try to end the stalemate

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Last week, facing a downturn in GDP, Switzerland negotiated a deal with the Trump administration to lower is its eye-watering 39 per cent tariff to 15 per cent. How it got an agreement was unusual.

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After the Swiss government failed to get tariff relief, several big multinationals, including Rolex, Richemont and shipping company MSC, negotiated directly with U.S. President Donald Trump, seemingly with the government’s approval. As part of the agreement that emerged, the companies promise to invest US$200 billion in the U.S.

There’s a lesson here for Canada. Our own negotiations with the United States are stalled — stuck, even. Although some experts counsel patience, Canada’s business sector can’t twiddle its thumbs waiting for a deal that could take two or three years.

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I’ve heard from many businesses that, as a simple matter of risk management, they’re realigning their........

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