Mr. Speaker, contrary to statements made by the hon. member, the government is certainly not quietly negotiating trade deals with Korea. Rather, we have been upfront about these negotiations and have consulted with interested industry stakeholders every step of the way, including all segments of the Canadian automotive industry.
An FTA with Korea would help ensure that Canadian manufacturers would have effective access to Korea's automotive market through the elimination of tariff and non-tariff barriers.
On this last element, let me be very clear. The government is committed to ensuring that a Canada-Korea FTA creates new opportunities for the Canadian automotive manufacturers.
Importantly, benefits for Canada, however, are not limited to the automotive sector and span a wide range of goods and service sectors and also include potential new investment opportunities.