Paul H. Robinson Jr. facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Paul Robinson
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| 21st United States Ambassador to Canada | |
| In office July 15, 1981 – September 9, 1985 |
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| President | Ronald Reagan |
| Preceded by | Kenneth M. Curtis |
| Succeeded by | Thomas M. T. Niles |
| Personal details | |
| Born | June 22, 1930 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican Party |
| Alma mater | University of Illinois |
Paul Heron Robinson Jr. (born June 22, 1930) is an American businessman. He served as the United States Ambassador to Canada from 1981 to 1985. An ambassador is a special representative sent by one country to another. Their job is to help keep good relationships between the two nations.
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About Paul Robinson
Paul Robinson was born in Chicago, Illinois, on June 22, 1930. He went to high school in Hinsdale, Illinois. After finishing high school, he studied at the University of Illinois. He earned a degree there in 1953.
Early Career and Service
After college, Paul Robinson joined the United States Navy. He served in the Navy from 1953 to 1955. He reached the rank of Lieutenant.
Later, he started his own company called Robinson, Incorporated. In his business, he worked as a broker. A broker helps people or companies buy and sell things, like investments, for others. He was also an active member of the Republican Party.
Ambassador to Canada
In 1981, the President of the United States, Ronald Reagan, chose Paul Robinson to be the U.S. Ambassador to Canada. This was a very important job. Robinson officially started his role in Ottawa, Canada, on July 15, 1981. He served there until September 9, 1985.
Working on Trade
As ambassador, Robinson started important talks with the Canadian government. At that time, Pierre Trudeau was the Prime Minister of Canada. The discussions were about making it easier to trade goods between the U.S. and Canada. This meant looking at ways to reduce "trade restrictions." Trade restrictions are rules or taxes that make it harder or more expensive to buy and sell things between countries.
Steps Toward Free Trade
Later, in 1984, Brian Mulroney became the new Prime Minister of Canada. He was from the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada. With Mulroney, the talks expanded. They began discussing a "free trade" agreement. A free trade agreement means that countries agree to remove most of the taxes and rules on goods they trade with each other. This makes it cheaper and easier to do business.
These early talks led to a big agreement later on. The Canada – United States Free Trade Agreement was signed on October 4, 1988. This agreement helped boost trade and economic ties between the two countries.
