International Trade Committee on Feb. 10th, 2011

[Don Stephenson]

I just wanted to make the point, and I made it in my opening comments, that the agreement provides for an arbitration process. The arbitration process provides for third-party independent adjudication of disputes.

In that sense, it's working, because the alternative was unilateral, arbitrary, and I would suggest excessive taxes on the American side—anti-dumping and countervailing duties—that they imposed at will. So we now have a process that provides for arbitration of disputes. In that sense, the agreement is working.

[Ron Cannan, Conservative, Kelowna—Lake Country, BC]

Thanks for the clarification.

[The Chair, Conservative, Lee Richardson]

Thank you, Mr. Cannan.

To wrap it up, Ms. Hall Findlay.

[Martha Hall Findlay, Liberal, Willowdale, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Maybe this is another follow-up, just given the lack of time, but I have two things. I just wanted to clarify from Ms. Watson when we might be able to get a response to the earlier question, if we could pin that down.... My question was about the number of people on the ground in the United States, either through DFAIT or through the embassy. Do you have a timeframe?

Mr. Holder had a similar request.

[Lynda Watson]

I could try getting something to you approximately a week from today.

[Martha Hall Findlay, Liberal, Willowdale, ON]

That would be wonderful. Thank you.

My question, then—again it might be a follow-up in writing—is Mr. Keddy had spoken about one company in particular being blocked at the border a significant number of times. It seems to be a significant increase. I don't know that I've seen any statistics or review of what happens the other way. We keep talking about the challenges for Canadians going across the border, Canadian enterprises going back. The level of integration obviously is significant. But if there is a way of summarizing or providing that information to us, how much the Canadian border officials are blocking similar traffic coming north? That would be really helpful and I think would help in the larger discussion.

Don, I don't know if that's something to follow up with, but I leave it to you who would know better where to find that and how to provide it.

[Don Stephenson]

Well, we will try to follow up.

I expect we'll have to try to get that answer from Canada Border Services Agency and/or Public Safety, but we'll give it a try.

[Martha Hall Findlay, Liberal, Willowdale, ON]

It significantly affects trade, so I would think....

Okay, thank you.

Thanks, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Conservative, Lee Richardson]

Thank you.

Again, thank you to our witnesses today. It was very helpful and very useful. I'm sure that in the course of our discussions we will welcome you back again.

I'll reiterate in asking you to provide the written documentation that's been requested by the committee.

I think that will be it for today in terms of witnesses. So I'm going to take a brief break after thanking you, and then we'll proceed with committee business.

Mr. Stephenson and the panel, thank you very much for appearing today.

I'll suspend for two minutes.

[Proceedings continue in camera]