For what it's worth:


It will make Canadian products more competitive here and abroad. It will help our manufacturers invest and innovate ...

OTTAWA–Canada's manufacturers had asked Ottawa to continue giving them speedy write-offs on purchases of new equipment.

Instead, Finance Minister Jim Flaherty decided to make Canada a tariff-free zone on imported equipment – a measure he says will be worth close to $300 million a year by 2015.

Flaherty said Canada will be the first G20 country to eliminate tariffs on equipment.

"It will lower costs for consumers of Canadian manufactured goods," he said. "It will make Canadian products more competitive here and abroad. It will help our manufacturers to invest and innovate, especially small and medium-sized manufacturers."

Flaherty said the measure will generate 12,000 new jobs.

But the budget doesn't continue accelerated write-offs for new manufacturing equipment, with one exception.

The budget does offer speedy write-offs for clean and renewable energy-generation equipment.

That could include wind turbines, solar panels, equipment used to tap gas from landfills or wood waste, or co-generation equipment that captures more energy from fossil fuels.

more...

http://www.thestar.com/business/arti...riff-free-zone