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Push for border tech trading

The president of Microsoft is pushing to make a Vancouver-Seattle technology corridor a success, despite the uncertainty around cross-border trade posed by the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump.

Brad Smith was in Vancouver on Wednesday to promote the Cascadia Innovation Corridor, an agreement signed by British Columbia and Washington state that aims to grow high-tech industries and strengthen collaboration across the region.

Smith said the company was optimistic about investment in Canada, despite the possibility of Trump's administration renegotiating North American Free Trade Agreement to impose levies on goods flowing across the border.

"First, the issue is not without risk, but the world is not without risk. We don't really have an alternative that says, 'Let's only focus on the places that have no risk,' because I'm not sure there are any such places," he said

"Second, we do bring to the whole issue some sense of optimism. As Prime Minister (Justin) Trudeau has pointed out, NAFTA has been revised and improved over 15 times since it was initially signed. I'd almost go so far as to say evolution and improvement have been an inherent part of a healthy trading agreement."

Trudeau has been attempting to lure foreign investment in Canada's growing technology sector, including through a visit to the Seattle area last month to attend the closed-door Microsoft CEO Summit and to meet with Washington Gov. Jay Inslee. Trump's "America First" rhetoric poses a challenge, but his restrictive immigration policies could draw more talent north, experts have said.

Smith said he was optimistic that "common sense will prevail" on NAFTA. He said he has already made the point to lawmakers in Washington, D.C., that there are 13 states that border Canada and they share not only economics, jobs and trade, but also culture and a sense of concern about their neighbours.

The company opened its Microsoft Canada Excellence Centre in downtown Vancouver last June to considerable fanfare, attracting the prime minister, B.C. Premier Christy Clark and Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson. Now it employs more than 600 people, although some are skilled foreign workers destined to be transferred the U.S.



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