Yes, thank you for the question. Canada and the U.S., as we know, have a common marketplace. The vehicles that Canadians and Americans drive are pretty much the same, except for some minor differences. Differences in regulation, therefore, can create cost increases for Canadian consumers due to our smaller market. That's why our government has been moving forward with the United States to create a more competitive North American marketplace that will help increase trade, competitiveness, and consumer pricing.
Our changes to the Motor Vehicle Safety Act follow through on our commitment made in the economic action plan 2014, and the changes in the bill will allow the importation of vehicles and equipment where it's deemed that the U.S. safety standard achieves the safety outcome that is required in this country. This change will not in any way, therefore, affect the public safety of Canadians. Where there are minor differences between countries, we can't allow these small differences to stop trade that would otherwise be beneficial.
We're also providing new powers that will increase the safety of our system, including providing the minister authority to order a company to issue a recall and increase penalties for companies that do not comply with our strict safety laws. These changes are just another example of our government's common-sense approach, removing red tape to help businesses while also increasing enforcement to ensure that Canadians are protected.