Good morning, everybody.
Pursuant to Standing Order 108(2), the House of Commons Standing Committee on International Trade is undertaking a study examining the opportunities and challenges Canadian businesses and our trading partners face with respect to the Canada-U.S. trading relationship.
The committee is specifically interested in identifying and removing the obstacles that stand in the way of stronger economic ties with the United States, to answer the question, what can the Government of Canada do to help Canadian businesses take better advantage of trade, investment, and other business opportunities?
Today we have as witnesses, first of all, Mr. Anthony Burger, chief economist, from the office of the chief economist at DFAIT. We have William Crosbie, director general, North America bureau, DFAIT; we have Paul Robertson, director general, North America trade policy, DFAIT; and we have Mr. Lee Gill, director of industrial research at Industry Canada.
I'd like to thank you all very much, gentlemen, for being here. You have been in discussion with the clerk. You know you have about an eight-minute presentation from each department, and then we'll open it up to questions. We have only an hour and a quarter with you this morning. After that, the committee will be finalizing, hopefully, our report and as well dealing with the issue of committee travel.
Gentlemen, perhaps you could go ahead. We're looking forward to your presentations and then the answers to the questions. You have told me you have some other people with you who would be willing to answer questions, if the need arises, but please proceed.
Mr. Crosbie.