Thank you, Madam Chair.
Good morning to everyone, the vice-chairs and all of the other members of the committee. It is a pleasure to be with you today and to assist the committee in its important work and an honour to speak, through you, to Canadians once again.
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to do both.
Throughout this past year, Canadians have stepped up and made sacrifices to help limit the spread of the COVID-19 virus and to support their communities.
In particular, business owners and workers have faced incredible hardship and uncertainty. They've persevered, showed historic resilience and adapted at every new turn. We've been supporting Canadians and their businesses from day one of this crisis. Our government's COVID-19 economic response plan has helped protect millions of jobs across the country and supported businesses to pay their bills.
Now, as we face renewed public health measures, many are being asked to sacrifice once again, and I want to reassure them that we are listening and that we continue to have their backs. This includes the emergency wage subsidy, emergency rent subsidy and the lockdown support, all of which we are extending until September, as we announced in last week's budget. Support also includes the Canada emergency business account, otherwise known as CEBA, and most recently HASCAP, which has further helped some of Canada's hardest hit businesses.
In budget 2021 our plan is to finish the fight against COVID-19 with significant investments in small businesses that will bring Canada's economy roaring back.
These measures are making a significant difference.
CEBA, for instance, delivered through Export Development Canada, has delivered nearly $47 billion in emergency credit to nearly 867,000 Canadian businesses since last April, with more than 530,000 businesses receiving the $20,000 expansion. These emergency supports are one part of our government's larger effort to help businesses bridge to the other side of the pandemic. We're also working hard to create opportunities for businesses to expand at home and abroad. For example, in 2020, EDC facilitated over $102 billion in business by working with nearly 25,000 companies.
As for Invest in Canada, in 2019 and 2020, they facilitated 18 investments, resulting in over 2,000 jobs and capital expenditures of $1.25 billion. In addition to EDC and Invest in Canada, other members of what I call “Canada's trade tool box” have been working hard throughout this pandemic to adapt and to create new opportunities for businesses to explore international markets. Take, for example, the Canadian Commercial Corporation, which, in 2019-20, generated $1.25 billion worth of contracts with foreign buyers for our Canadian exporters.
Also, take the trade commissioner service, which has pivoted to offer virtual tools and services to Canadian businesses, and also provided more than $33 million in supports through the CanExport program to help our businesses looking to diversify into other export markets.
It goes beyond these direct supports. Our government has been working to protect Canadian businesses as they bring their products and services to the global stage. For example, I've been working closely with the international community to seek investor-state dispute settlement protections for Canadian companies abroad while also maintaining our ability to regulate in the public interest here at home.
Our government has been doing this work since well before the pandemic, amid this pandemic, and we will continue to do so after the pandemic because we know that supporting Canada's businesses is the smartest thing we can do for our workers and our economy.
As we announced in budget 2021, we're taking even more decisive and responsible action to get Canadian businesses ready for long-term growth by investing in innovation, sustainability and inclusivity to get even more of our main streets and the 99% of small and medium-sized businesses that make up all our businesses to start up here at home, to scale up and to access the international markets. Whether it's new supports for digital adoption or to rehire workers, we will ensure that businesses of all sizes, and led by all peoples, can bring their made-in-Canada solutions to the world.
I'll end by saying this: In response to COVID-19, many have turned inward and looked to pursue protectionism, but we can't let the pandemic stop Canada from trading. That's why I've been working closely with my international partners from the G7, the G20, the WTO and APEC, and have led the Ottawa Group on WTO reform with our most recent meeting in March, to ensure that our supply chains remain open, our businesses continue their work and that crucial goods and services continue to flow.
We are shaping the modern future of the multilateral rules-based trading system, one that is increasingly digital and contributes to an inclusive future where everyone can benefit.
It's this kind of active work and meaningful international co-operation that is going to see us recover from COVID-19 and build back better together.
Thank you very much for your time.
I am looking forward to taking your questions.
Thank you, Madam Chair.
