Industry committee  Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Bienvenue à Nouvelle- Écosse. I'd like to thank you very much for coming to Halifax. I really welcome this opportunity to share some of the perspectives of manufacturers in Nova Scotia, in this region. I think the committee would be very familiar with the work generally of the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters, or CME.

Industry committee  Okay. Sorry about that. I'll close by saying that the concept of an Atlantic gateway corridor is something that we feel could focus on the benefits I mentioned as well as the need for a national logistics strategy and at the same time tie in with the initiatives on the west coast.

Industry committee  I think we're very much at the concept level. The approach of CME is to look at this as an initiative that would be part of a national strategy. So it would not be, at least from my organization's point of view, just Nova Scotia or just Atlantic for the sake of Atlantic. It would only work if it's part of a national initiative.

Industry committee  If I may add to that, I think the answer to each of those challenges is different for each one. The manufacturers, at least here in the east, are very enterprising, tackling every single one. With regard to production costs, for example, we're seeing increased attention to lean productivity techniques, where manufacturers are studying virtually every aspect of their value-added and supply chain, trying to identify cost savings there.

Industry committee  Speaking on behalf of CME, I haven't heard that particular recommendation. I am fairly new in the organization, so I'll give you a disclaimer. I can comment that one of the areas that CME is examining is the opportunity offered by the empty containers that are accumulating in Canada, which provide a great opportunity for our manufacturers to take advantage of an instant trade pattern and an opportunity to go back east and send our products to China.

Industry committee  We all recognize the great economic situation in Alberta right now and the challenge of the potential loss of our skilled people here. Nationally, the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters has launched a website, www.icosmo.ca--iCOSMO is an acronym for the Alberta oil sands. It's a matching service for buyers who are registered in Alberta and potential sellers from across Canada, and it is the particular interest here.

Industry committee  I'll check into that and certainly let you know.

International Trade committee  Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, members of the committee, for this opportunity to make a presentation about CETA. From the recent presentation made to you by Dr. Jayson Myers, our president of the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters, I think you know a little bit about our organization.

International Trade committee  I think I will defer to my colleagues here to answer that question. I don't want to get into any trouble.

International Trade committee  I don't have detailed knowledge of all the sectors, but I know the one that has been highlighted the most for us is in the seafood area. I think you probably heard some representations this morning that there are tariffs now that will be completely eliminated. I think they're in the range of 20% on things such as cold water shrimp and lobster.

International Trade committee  I think there is, but I regret that I don't have the answer to that question, largely because I haven't been able to plow through the entire agreement. I have some questions in certain areas. For example, I had an inquiry yesterday from a firm that deals with gravel processing equipment, aggregate.

International Trade committee  No, none that I'd be comfortable sharing at this point, I'm sorry.

International Trade committee  I recognize that it has been targeted as a point of interest, primarily through the media. I'd have to say that where pharmaceutical manufacturers are concentrated outside of this region, it hasn't been an area that I have personally focused on. I think my colleagues in the national office have looked at this.

International Trade committee  I think I'd refer back to the number I mentioned in my comments about the low number of firms that are actually exporting right now. These are companies that are presumably profitable, are doing business, perhaps doing business in the U.S., or perhaps only doing business in Canada, and for whatever reason they haven't looked at expanding their markets beyond our borders.

International Trade committee  That's right. So we see it as an optimistic and positive boost.