As a country, our businesses are in the position to benefit from the federal government's commitment to diversifying trade.
I certainly agree with the comments by Mr. Dade about the need for engagement with target markets and solidifying our movement of goods capacity within the country. However, I want to echo the fact that your efforts have given us access to 1.5 billion potential customers, through 14 free trade agreements covering 51 countries. The imperative now is to get Canadian businesses to take action on those.
At a time when access to local, in-person customers is hampered by the pandemic, digital access to global customers is not. Exporting will not be a panacea to the economic challenges our businesses have withstood, but it's certainly a mighty tool. We encourage the federal government to double down on trade and on equipping our businesses to export and to be digitally ready, for digital readiness is the new price of admission for business survival and trade during the pandemic and beyond.
Companies need support to get through this challenging time, not only in the form of cash infusions, which are providing temporary relief, but also in the form of national access to the recovery activation and trade accelerator programs outlined by Leigh. These programs are making our businesses resilient through COVID, and positioning them to access growth markets, which will also position them to scale up in recovery.
In closing, thank you again for your investments and partnerships with us. Together we're the helping hand that many businesses need in this difficult period.