Mr. Speaker, recently I had the pleasure of attending, along with my colleague from Haldimand—Norfolk—Brant, the first ever joint meeting of NAFTA legislators to discuss North American steel issues.
As NAFTA legislators we agree that a global steel crisis whose roots lie outside North America has created an unprecedented situation of global steel overcapacity and market distortions. NAFTA governments must address these issues for effective and comprehensive steel policies.
That being said, in Canada and specifically in my city of Hamilton we have two very innovative and technologically advanced steel companies, Dofasco and Stelco, which are well positioned to reap economic awards in a fair trade environment.
As legislators we pledge to continue to work closely together. Our first meeting was a good start but we must continue to push for fair trade in steel.
We must ensure the effectiveness of trade laws and trade law enforcement in North America and we need to address world steel overcapacity and market distorting practices through the exploration of multilateral solutions.
Canada must continue to be a leader in these negotiations on the steel industry and vigorously defend the best interests of our domestic producers.