When I see these increased trade activities across the globe, I know that we now live in a global village, basically, as far as trade is concerned. From the previous witnesses we heard that Panama is is often referred to as the the gateway to Latin America. We also heard that a Canadian company—Mr. Tilk, your company—is already there, and you told us that a business decision was made in anticipation of this agreement. We also heard that a lot of Canadian companies have indicated that they want to increase their business activity in Panama. The question is, what opportunities will Canada lose as far as business goes? Will we lose any opportunities for jobs or economic growth if we do not pursue this agreement?
On September 25th, 2012. See this statement in context.