Columbia International Affairs Online: Policy Briefs

CIAO DATE: 11/2012

A new economic nationalism? Lessons from the PotashCorp decision in Canada

Sandy Walker

August 2012

Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment

Abstract

Foreign investors must be alert to the possibility that political sensitivities may impact foreign investment review processes, hence jeopardizing a small number of deals involving perceived national champions. One example, which underlines that politics can occasionally hijack the review of foreign investments, is the Canadian Government’s rejection of BHP Billiton’s takeover of Potash Corporation.