Mr. Eric Wildhaber at the Government Operations and Estimates Committee

On November 2nd, 2017. See this statement in context.

November 2nd, 2017 / 12:15 p.m.

Senior Counsel, Secretariat to the Canadian International Trade Tribunal, Administrative Tribunals Support Service of Canada, Canadian International Trade Tribunal

Eric Wildhaber

This question is more suited for my colleagues from Global Affairs Canada.

As an internal tribunal, the Canadian International Trade Tribunal receives complaints that originate mostly from small and medium businesses in this country.

In fact, I would like to say a word or two about this. The system was originally created to allow our businesses to go abroad and compete for external government procurement contracts, and conversely to allow foreign businesses to settle here.

However, 98% of the complaints that come before the Canadian International Trade Tribunal come from potential Canadian suppliers, either from Quebec or elsewhere. That is why we are an internal tribunal.

With regard to external trade policy, I have a good idea of what the WTO is going to do, but that is not part of my mandate. It concerns my colleagues from Global Affairs Canada.

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