International Trade Committee on June 2nd, 2026

[Terry Beech, Liberal, Burnaby North—Seymour, BC]

If I could guide you just a bit, it's not just thinking about AI and the technologies that enable that. There are specific attributes to digital goods and services in terms of market access and how those goods are delivered that allow for a certain scale and a certain level of competition. Is there anything that is specific to that industry with regard to that, where we might think differently than we would shipping a car across borders, etc.?

Is there anything that we should be thinking about at this committee?

[Catherine Fortin LeFaivre]

Digital trade is very different from goods. We want to make sure there's a free-flowing nature to digital trade, and that's what we've advocated for in the past. I think that because that industry is so complex and changing so quickly, it's also important to work closely with industry, with those who really understand the technology, when we're thinking of new regulations or laws moving forward, so that we can make sure Canada stays competitive in those sectors but also that there is some level of oversight.

[Terry Beech, Liberal, Burnaby North—Seymour, BC]

I'm the last person to ask questions and the chair is giving me the signal. I have seven seconds, but if I had another three minutes, I'd be asking you about biotech as well. Maybe that's for the next meeting.

Thank you.

[The Vice-Chair, Conservative, Adam Chambers]

You can ask a quick question.

[Terry Beech, Liberal, Burnaby North—Seymour, BC]

Well, it's not quick. I would be getting into the details of the biotech ecosystem, and I don't think we could do it in less than a minute.

[Catherine Fortin LeFaivre]

We're happy to take that back to them.

[The Vice-Chair, Conservative, Adam Chambers]

Thank you, Mr. Beech. British Columbia was proudly represented here today by the member from that province.

Thank you to our witnesses.

I do have one question. This is the chair's prerogative.

Mr. Malinowski, it has been suggested that some global automakers might move production to Canada to start building cars here. If there is no access to the U.S. market or it's uncertain, in your understanding, will any automakers create or build auto plants here if it's unclear whether they can sell those cars into the United States?

[Lucas Malinowski]

Thank you for the question, Chair, and for exercising your prerogative.

I don't see a business case for a new OEM to come here and bring manufacturing into Canada without any certainty on access to the U.S. market.

[The Vice-Chair, Conservative, Adam Chambers]

Thank you very much. We appreciate all of the witnesses' time.

Thank you, members, for your patience today, and thank you to our interpreters and our wonderful analysts and clerk, and everyone else who supports us every day.

[Philip Lawrence, Conservative, Northumberland—Clarke, ON]

Thank you for the excellent work of the chair.

[The Vice-Chair, Conservative, Adam Chambers]

The meeting is adjourned.