Mr. Chairman, we thank you for inviting us to this meeting.
We'll try to give you a brief overview of international trade policy, then answer your questions.
Let me begin by referring to two base documents that set out Canada's trade policy. The first is a speech Minister Emerson delivered on International Trade Day, June 8, 2006, entitled, “Shaping a Global Commerce Agenda for Canada”. By way of background, we have included with the speech “The State of Trade Report” and “Canada's International Market Access Priorities”.
Our second base document is the international trade component of our department's report on planning and priorities, tabled in the House on September 26, 2006.
I need not explain to this committee the importance of world trade to Canada's economic performance. You have all of the figures and data before you. You've had witnesses from our department and others go over that previously. So let me talk about the fundamentals of Canadian trade policy.
Any examination of Canadian trade policy must start with the pre-eminent importance of our trade relationship with the United States. My colleague Paul Robertson will pursue this later. Of course, we cannot ignore the need to expand trade opportunities to other countries and regions of the world. Shortly, David Plunkett will elaborate on initiatives for trade expansion that we now have under way.
I'd like to set out three essential elements for the formulation and execution of our trade policy.
First, we need to be aggressive in opening and maintaining market access opportunities for Canadian business. That is why we have, and will continue to press for, an ambitious outcome to the presently suspended WTO negotiations.
Second, we should be innovative and flexible in designing approaches, bearing in mind the rapidly changing dynamics acting on international trade. From the government's perspective, this would mean designing and negotiating instruments that address issues going beyond the traditional barriers of trade at the border. These instruments should provide the private sector with secure and transparent means to advance their interests in areas such as investment, science and technology, civil aviation, and others.
Third, we must always keep in mind that trade policy has to be rooted in solid domestic economic fundamentals, including sound fiscal and regulatory regimes and supportive infrastructure policies such as the recently announced Asia-Pacific gateway and corridor Initiative.
I'll now ask Paul Robertson to talk about the North American dimension of our trade policy.