Thanks so much to my honourable colleague for that excellent question.
As you pointed out, Canada has committed to open trade since well before COVID-19. We're committed to trade agreements because they work. We're committed to multilateral, rules-based trade because that works. Rules-based trade establishes stability and predictability in trading relationships. It ensures balance. It ensures fairness. It creates new opportunities for business and it certainly supports well-paying jobs for Canadians. We have preferential access to a billion and a half customers through many economies.
You're absolutely right. Having the trade agreements without the other side, which is to help our Canadian businesses take advantage of those opportunities in the global marketplace, would be a missed opportunity. That is why I proudly serve as Canada's minister for both small business and export promotion—because we have to tell people about it—and also Canada's Minister for International Trade.
Throughout the pandemic—I won't go into the range of emergency supports that we have been providing, but what we have done here in the Canada trade tool box, in the BDC, the EDC, the Canadian Commercial Corporation, Invest In Canada, as well as the trade commissioner service is created an internal working group which is called the business export and trade recovery team.
This incredible, dynamic team is working together during this time of COVID-19 to be sure we are doing everything we possibly can to ensure our businesses have the supports that are needed to help them grow and to grow their businesses into that international marketplace. Complemented by the emergency measures we have in place, this will put them on that right kind of footing, so that they are best primed for the economic recovery when it is time to do so.
We will continue to work very hard to support our small businesses, indeed all of our businesses that are exporting into those international markets, throughout this time.