You have one minute.
Evidence of meeting #90 for International Trade in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was across.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Evidence of meeting #90 for International Trade in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was across.
A recording is available from Parliament.
5:20 p.m.
Conservative
Tony Baldinelli Conservative Niagara Falls, ON
Ms. Campbell, you talked about a white paper from 2019. Could you table that white paper with our committee?
5:20 p.m.
Past Chair, Canadian Association of Importers and Exporters
Yes, I have already submitted it.
5:20 p.m.
Vice-President, Public Affairs and National Policy, Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters
Very quickly, there have been a number of questions on the supply chain task force report, so we have a free private member's bill idea for anybody here who wants to take it. It's free, so there's no charge.
5:20 p.m.
Some hon. members
Oh, oh!
5:20 p.m.
Vice-President, Public Affairs and National Policy, Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters
Everybody at this table invests an incredible amount of time and energy, including by talking to our members about their lived experiences, to contribute to these exercises, these studies, these task force reports and other consultations. Often we become frustrated that it's unclear what the response will be from government. This is not a new phenomenon; this is stretching back decades.
My idea to table here is that the government should either comply with these reports and follow through on the recommendations, or be required to clearly explain why they will not. That would create a lot of certainty for all stakeholders that participate in these exercises. It would make sure that we're actually leveraging these reports, and it would give the government a chance to proceed or to say why they're not proceeding.
5:20 p.m.
Bloc
The Vice-Chair Bloc Simon-Pierre Savard-Tremblay
Thank you, Mr. Greer.
I will now give the floor to Mr. Sidhu for five minutes. This will be the last intervention.
5:20 p.m.
Liberal
Maninder Sidhu Liberal Brampton East, ON
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
As we know, Parliament will soon be casting an important vote on the modernized Canada-Ukraine agreement, which was signed by our Prime Minister and President Zelenskyy. We're speaking about supply chains and the impacts of world events. Could you comment on how the conflict in Ukraine has exacerbated supply chain challenges both here domestically in Canada and around the world?
That is for anybody who wants to take it and speak to supply chains and how we're all....
5:20 p.m.
Senior Vice President, Policy and Government Relations, Canadian Chamber of Commerce
I can start.
Quickly, one of the initiatives that we were very proud to support as part of the International Chamber of Commerce was the Black Sea grain initiative. That was to ensure that we could still see the free flow of important commodity grains through that area of the world. Obviously, it also had a big impact on our Canadian growers and agri-foods as well.
More personally here within our office, we are very proud to have recently hired a Ukrainian to our team who studied here at Carleton University and has just joined our policy team. We feel this personally, and we feel a tremendous investment in our shared priority with the nation of Ukraine.
5:20 p.m.
Liberal
Maninder Sidhu Liberal Brampton East, ON
Thank you for that. It's important that we continue to be there to help Ukraine. We heard from industry here in Canada. I heard directly from industry and the Ukrainian community in Kelowna when I was there about the importance of this modernized trade agreement. We need to make sure we get it through the House as soon as possible.
Ms. Campbell, you were cut off at the beginning of your opening remarks. I'm not sure if you have some things to add.
5:20 p.m.
Past Chair, Canadian Association of Importers and Exporters
Thank you.
It was about the white paper. I just wanted to share a little more about that.
We definitely feel there's an opportunity to have an inter-agency council. We feel there are too many silos. This has been part of the problem. Everyone is trying hard to do their mission, but it's not cohesive and there's not a plan.
That would be the last of my comments. Thank you very much for providing me the opportunity to do that now.
5:20 p.m.
Liberal
Maninder Sidhu Liberal Brampton East, ON
You added that the financial security before was $5,000 for importers, and now it's $20,000 currently.
5:20 p.m.
Past Chair, Canadian Association of Importers and Exporters
Yes, the minimum is $5,000 today, and it will go up to $25,000 under CARM.
5:20 p.m.
Past Chair, Canadian Association of Importers and Exporters
We're waiting for the regulations. They tell us they can't implement without them. It's already February, so that's an interesting journey as well that we continue.
5:20 p.m.
Liberal
Maninder Sidhu Liberal Brampton East, ON
The number of importers registered on CARM right now, is it 50,000 or 2,000?
5:20 p.m.
Past Chair, Canadian Association of Importers and Exporters
It's just under 50,000. We were told actually in the submission that came to this committee back in May that there are 200,000 importers.
5:20 p.m.
Liberal
5:20 p.m.
Bloc
The Vice-Chair Bloc Simon-Pierre Savard-Tremblay
Thank you.
I thank the witnesses for being here with us and for their testimony. It was very informative.
I would now like to inform the members of the committee that we will continue our work on Tuesday, February 6. We will again be engaged in the study on Canadian businesses in supply chains and global markets. We will have witnesses from Quebec and the Atlantic.
I want to take this opportunity to thank my colleagues and the witnesses for their indulgence. It was the first time I chaired this committee.
5:20 p.m.
Some hon. members
Hear, hear!