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Canadian ambassador-designate to the United States Gary Doer speaks to reporters in Ottawa on Thursday, October 22, 2009.FRED CHARTRAND

Canada's new ambassador to Washington is warning Canadian exporters not to expect a quick fix for Buy American measures that are freezing them out of rich stimulus-spending contracts in the United States.

Gary Doer, who just left his post as Manitoba's premier to start work in Washington this week, called Canadian efforts to secure an exemption from the measures "a long-distance race," and said he won't even try to guess when, if ever, a deal might be struck.

"When I came into the office, there was no deal on the desk on Buy American - or in the drawer. I can confirm that this is a work in progress," he told reporters in the foyer of the House of Commons on Thursday.

He added: "It's going to be a lot of work."

The Buy America measures in the massive U.S. stimulus packing set conditions on about $260-billion in federal funds being transferred to American states and cities, requiring that all steel and manufactured goods bought with the money be American-made.

Because state and local spending is not covered by the North American free trade agreement, that has excluded Canadian companies from supplying their products for many big projects.

The Harper government, along with provincial governments, have offered to guarantee U.S. bidders access to many areas of provincial and municipal spending in Canada, in return for an exemption from the Buy American clauses.

A CBC report last month that stated that negotiators from Canada and the U.S. were on the verge of striking a deal to settle the issue was denied by Trade Minister Stockwell Day earlier this week; he said the report had "no foundation."

Mr. Doer portrayed Canadian efforts as a hard slog that will require lobbying not just with the Obama administration, but with members of the U.S. Congress, state governors and city mayors, as well as American companies and unions. He said their Canadian counterparts will have to join in pushing for a deal.

"It's a long-distance race, but it's not going to be run by only one or two people," Mr. Doer said.

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