International Trade Committee on Nov. 3rd, 2020

[Mary Ng, Liberal, Markham—Thornhill, ON]

The effort of helping Canadian businesses understand that this is a critical tool is absolutely a challenge. I suppose that's probably why I have “export promotion” as part of my title, because that is absolutely an area that we need to keep doing. Now, during the pandemic, I think it's more needed than ever, so they actually are getting team Canada and trade team Canada to wrap their arms around it so they can problem-solve as they need to during this time and be supported during this time so that we can get them, bridge them, to better times beyond COVID-19.

[Randy Hoback, Conservative, Prince Albert, SK]

On your announcement today, when will we see the fine print, the actual details on the application process? Who qualifies for the $75,000? What's the benchmark? What do they have to achieve or accomplish in order to get that or have it forgiven?

We've had announcements over this last year from the government. The announcement gets made and then it looks like the bureaucracy is scrambling to deliver it. Can you give us a time frame or a sense of a time frame for when businesses can actually look at it, apply for it and move forward with it?

[Mary Ng, Liberal, Markham—Thornhill, ON]

Well, the CanExport SME program has been in place. In fact, our government made an investment of $190 million to this program. What—

[Randy Hoback, Conservative, Prince Albert, SK]

Is this just a reannouncement of what you've done before, then?

[Mary Ng, Liberal, Markham—Thornhill, ON]

No. It is to make sure that this program absolutely is responsive to businesses who need to do business in a different way during COVID-19. I think you'll agree that getting on a plane and travelling is not something that would be the best use of that money, whereas helping them to develop their virtual capabilities and helping them to get to virtual trade shows or virtual business-to-business meetings is what they need. That's what the capacity—

[Randy Hoback, Conservative, Prince Albert, SK]

Fair enough, but then your structure within Global Affairs will have to adjust accordingly. You don't need logistics people planning trade trips. You need those people to pivot to be representatives in different countries for these businesses. What has been done in your area to accomplish that?

You know, we have some great people who do all sorts of great work, but their old jobs might not be what's required right now. How do we get them into the right areas so that we're utilizing them as effectively as possible?

[Mary Ng, Liberal, Markham—Thornhill, ON]

Well, we have in previous budgets certainly increased investment to the trade commissioner service, but I think that today—

[Randy Hoback, Conservative, Prince Albert, SK]

A budget? I'd love a budget. Wouldn't you love a budget?

[Mary Ng, Liberal, Markham—Thornhill, ON]

Tonight, my virtual trade mission to Korea, which is the first of its kind, I think is a perfect example of how team Canada, trade team Canada, is working to support the over 100 businesses that are coming with me virtually into Korea. This—

[Randy Hoback, Conservative, Prince Albert, SK]

Can we join that? Can I join in on that call and listen in?

[Mary Ng, Liberal, Markham—Thornhill, ON]

Of course, you're welcome. I think what you're going to see is a whole bunch of wonderful businesses just like those ones we saw when you and I were in Africa. We have terrific female entrepreneurs who.... If you think about it, if it were a physical trade mission, we wouldn't have these numbers. These numbers are off the charts. They're absolutely terrific. We're looking forward to helping them make those business connections and giving them the capacity to, I hope, grow and to book contracts in this market, South Korea.

We're actually celebrating five years of the trade agreement.

[Randy Hoback, Conservative, Prince Albert, SK]

Actually, that's a trade agreement that everybody voted for—even the NDP, Daniel.

Anyway, just to sum up, I would definitely like to be made aware of those so we can participate. It's not necessarily that we want to be vocal during the meeting but just so we can at least listen in and listen to what businesses have to say about what works and what's not working.

[Mary Ng, Liberal, Markham—Thornhill, ON]

Randy, I've been promoting this trade mission forever. You need to look at my social media and everywhere else I've been promoting it.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[Randy Hoback, Conservative, Prince Albert, SK]

How did I miss it?

[Mary Ng, Liberal, Markham—Thornhill, ON]

And of course you're welcome. You're always welcome.

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

Minister, if we could keep you longer, we would love to have you stay, but it sounds as though you have a pretty exciting evening ahead of you. Thank you very much for coming today. We would like to have you back several times, especially in the near future. There are several things we want to talk to you about.

Thank you very much, Minister. However you exit, you'll exit, and we will continue on with the officials who will be here.

We go now to Mr. Sarai for five minutes.

[Randeep Sarai, Liberal, Surrey Centre, BC]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

I was going to ask the minister this question, but since she's not there, I'll let one of the officials take it.

As she already outlined, I think we know the pandemic has been challenging for female business owners. It's even been called a “she-cession”. Last week, we heard about a virtual trade mission. I think that's the one that's about to happen, in which over 170 businesses will be able to participate. In particular, female business owners who might not have been able to attend an in-person trade mission will be able to attend given this format that is easier than the normal one.

Are there any thoughts on how we might be able to incorporate virtual aspects into future trade missions, once travel restrictions are eased, as a way to open up international trade opportunities for SMEs, especially as a way to assist female-run SMEs to access international markets?

This is for our trade commissioner.

[Sara Wilshaw, Chief Trade Commissioner, Assistant Deputy Minister, International Business Development, Investment and Innovation, Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development]

I'm happy to answer that question.

The short answer is that we are really excited about the results we are seeing from this virtual trade mission, and as you say, about making a lot of these more accessible events for others.

What we're doing right now amongst the trade commissioners is sort of collecting best practices. This also includes how we're doing other virtual events, like participating in trade shows around the world. A lot of the trade shows have gone virtual, and our folks on the ground are participating in these and they have all kinds of feedback coming in. We are collecting all of that feedback and we're going to see what we can do to apply these going forward, because as you say, if it makes it more accessible for women entrepreneurs or indigenous entrepreneurs or visible minority entrepreneurs or others who might not have the opportunity to participate in a trade mission that takes them away from their home or their business or their family for a week or 10 days, not to mention the costs of those things, we want to make sure that we are preserving some of the best aspects of what we're learning in this particular time.

[Randeep Sarai, Liberal, Surrey Centre, BC]

Maybe you can also help me with regard to travel restrictions, it being very difficult for importers as well as exporters. In our case, we're more concerned with exporters, when they have issues abroad with their goods, payment, delivery or transportation, or as we saw in PPE matters, people taking them right as they were about to be boarded.

What has the trade commission or EDC done to assist Canadians or to kind of mould their services in this particular time? What are the best practices that are emerging from this COVID experiment or experience?

[Sara Wilshaw]

Let's hope it's not an experiment, Madam Chair.

Certainly, countries around the world are taking measures, including border restrictions, to address the pandemic, and those measures can pose challenges for Canadian companies and their representatives.

We understand, obviously, that foreign governments have legitimate public health and safety priorities, just as we do here. Our trade commissioners are working with companies to help them navigate these, to understand what the restrictions are, to understand how to best.... Our folks are trying their best to advise Canadian companies if they feel that they need to travel. If they don't feel that they can travel, we are working with them to pivot their services or how they are working with their clients and delivering their goods or services to clients in markets abroad.

I think I mentioned last Friday that requests for our problem-solving service, which is one of our four key services, have increased by 47% or 49%, something like that, in the last little while, and for obvious reasons. People are asking lots of questions about what they should do, and we've been able to help them find new ways of doing business. As the minister mentioned, the CanExport program has been put in place and made more flexible to support companies in accessing e-commerce platforms, search engine optimization and working with others for financial payment and transaction, and securitizing those things.

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

Thank you very much, Ms. Wilshaw.

We will go on to Mr. Lobb.

[Ben Lobb, Conservative, Huron—Bruce, ON]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

The first question I have is in regard to the CETA trade deal and any progress being made with any of the non-tariff barriers, or whatever you want to call them, in the pork and beef sectors—specifically around the pork sector.

Are there any updates on that?

[Steve Verheul, Assistant Deputy Minister, Trade Policy and Negotiations and Chief Trade Negotiator of the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement, Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development]

I think that clearly we have been very much aware of the difficulties that our exporters have been encountering going into the European Union. We've had continuing conversations with the European Union at various levels, including the officials levels, the minister, and have been pushing this issue continually.

I think we are beginning to see some signs of progress. When it comes to pork and beef in particular, we still have a bit of a challenge in finding the right way to get into the EU market. The EU has very significant restrictions, as I'm sure you're aware, when it comes to hormone-treated beef, and other requirements that they impose on imports coming into the EU.

We are making progress on all of these issues. It's much slower than what we'd like to have, but we are getting there.

[Ben Lobb, Conservative, Huron—Bruce, ON]

In regard to pork and trichinella in the pork, it's my understanding that the EU wants every container ship to the EU to be tested for this. Is that the holdup with pork going to the European Union?