Thank you very much.
Evidence of meeting #5 for International Trade in the 45th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was infrastructure.
A video is available from Parliament.
Evidence of meeting #5 for International Trade in the 45th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was infrastructure.
A video is available from Parliament.
Liberal
Linda Lapointe Liberal Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC
Thank you, Madam Chair.
Ms. Tronnes, after hearing everything you had to say, I'll take this opportunity to ask you a few questions.
It was mentioned earlier that the Americans are our allies, our neighbours. Obviously, we're really close. You said that Americans don't mind if we establish other markets, that it's okay.
Considering everything we have to offer, what markets do you think we should focus on?
Executive Director, Center for North American Prosperity and Security
I think Canada has 16 free trade agreements, if I'm not mistaken. That means there are many more to make. Absolutely, we should be making use of our free trade agreements as they exist. We should be entering into more free trade agreements with other countries.
John Denton, who is the secretary general of, I believe, the International Chamber of Commerce, has been talking and meeting with a lot of folks about free trade agreements and trying to increase the amount of free trade around the world.
I think it's worthwhile to consider ideas—just spitballing—about making an international free trade zone. If you have a free trade agreement and you're into free trade agreements, why not coalesce them to make a larger leverage bloc?
There are all kinds of other solutions that Canada could look at. Certainly, the way to get more trade is to create more incentives for trade and to create more certainty about the trade environment. Agreements do that.
Liberal
Linda Lapointe Liberal Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC
Thank you very much.
We talked a lot about natural resources. We're lucky in Canada to have critical minerals and aluminum. We process the aluminum in Quebec, but we don't do a lot of secondary processing.
What should we do if we want to export those products? What should we focus on?
Executive Director, Center for North American Prosperity and Security
I think that's a great question for the aluminum business folks. I'm not that deep into the weeds on where we should go.
I would hope that if we build the product, the market will certainly come and eat it up. I hope so.
Liberal
Linda Lapointe Liberal Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC
Thank you for being here. We greatly appreciate it.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Judy Sgro
Is everybody good with their questions?
Ms. Tronnes, thank you so much for staying on for almost the full two hours. More importantly, thank you for what you're doing for us in the U.S. Having a solid voice like yours and letting them know how important we are to them.... They shouldn't forget that either. Thank you very much for being here.
I move for adjournment of the meeting.