Mr. Chair, as most people in the House will know, our government, our Prime Minister and the Minister of International Trade have taken a serious look at the Americas and a re-engagement with it.
What many people do not realize is the fact that Canadian foreign direct investment in the Americas is worth $100 billion. That is more money than our trade is worth with China and more money than our trade with India, and it is right on our doorstep. It is a huge opportunity and one that we would be careless not take advantage of and pursue, not only for our own good, but for the good of the other countries in the Americas.
The international trade committee did travel to Colombia. We spent four days in Bogota. When we left there, we went to Panama. I then went on to Honduras and Nicaragua. There are ongoing trade negotiations with the Central America four countries, Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador and Guatemala.
I was chagrined to see some of our committee members turn their backs on the opportunities in Colombia. A few years ago Colombia was in dire straits. It was practically a failed nation. Today it is moving forward. It has a growth rate of 7%. There are 1,000 Canadian businesses in Colombia. That is a huge commitment on our part. They show all the corporate social responsibility that Canadian companies are famous for around the world.