If I could have an indulgence, I only have a couple of pages more to read.
Only the government can provide the necessary funding to improve and enhance the capacity of the Windsor-Detroit border crossing, our country's busiest border crossing. An estimated $1.2 billion U.S. in trade crosses the U.S.-Canada border daily, over 40% of it at land border crossing in the Detroit-Windsor region. Of this daily trade, as much as $234 million U.S. is automotive-related. By trade volume alone, the Ambassador Bridge is the biggest and busiest border crossing in the world, carrying 25% of the value of trade between the U.S. and Canada.
Our manufacturers see the border as a part of their business process that is currently not working well. Perceived and real delays at the border are hurting both the regional and the national economy. The government must move forward with action gauged at dispelling any doubt that we are serious about solving our border problems.
Manufacturing warrants its own specific political and professional oversight. Assigning a minister or deputy minister who will have a function to oversee these measures dealing directly with the manufacturing challenges would certainly be appropriate and highly desirable.
Manufacturing is the key to our future economic success. We have nothing--nothing--to lose in attempting to improve our lot. We have everything to gain by working together towards solutions that will grow our economy.
Thank you very much. We have written submissions that we provided to Mr. Latimer this morning.