The Financial Post reports in its Saturday, Jan. 25, edition that National Bank of Canada chief executive officer Laurent Ferreira says negotiating with Donald Trump will be challenging, as Ottawa seeks to avoid crippling tariffs on Canadian goods, noting that the U.S. president often surprises with a "firehose" of information. The Post's Naimul Karim writes that Mr. Ferreira says, "Like everyone, we are confused on exactly where we stand with Trump." Mr. Ferreira urges Canada to "stand firm" in negotiations with its "partner." He suggests that Canada should learn from this experience and create a focused plan to enhance productivity by leveraging its strengths in energy, natural resources and agriculture, rather than diversifying unfocused efforts. He says, "If there's one thing that President Trump has done for Canada -- we might even thank him for it one day -- it's that he has reignited discussions between governments and the business world." He adds the U.S. will quickly scale back regulations and cut taxes on business, which could result in a wider productivity gap between the two countries. Mr. Ferreira says, "We need to react quickly and help Canadian businesses by lightening the tax and regulatory burden."