Mr. Chair and members of the committee, I appreciate the opportunity to contribute to the committee's study of Bill C‑355.
We are present today to share with the committee the roles and responsibilities of the Canada Border Services Agency, or CBSA, in monitoring the export of terrestrial animals, including horses.
As many of you already know, the CBSA facilitates the flow of billions of dollars of legitimate trade, and administers more than 100 acts and regulations at our borders. These efforts are designed to support the economic prosperity of our country while also keeping our country and Canadians safe. The CBSA plays a supporting role in verifying that other government department requirements are met for goods being imported into or exported from Canada, as well as administering the Customs Act.
Given the wide variety of acts enforced at the border, the CBSA works very closely with a number of government departments and agencies to ensure that the goods being imported to and exported from Canada are compliant with any act of Parliament that prohibits, controls or regulates their importation or exportation. In the context of agricultural imports and exports, we work very closely with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, which establishes the requirements for importing and exporting food, plants and animals into and out of Canada. CBSA officers follow its guidance and instructions and will detain goods when imports or exports fail to meet the requirements under the governing act.
This concludes my opening remarks. I'll be happy to take any questions you may have.