Mr. Speaker, as I have said many times, our government's focus is on the economy and creating jobs and opportunities for Canadians. We are doing that through trade, through an ambitious campaign to promote Canadian goods and products and through negotiating free-trade agreements with eight countries and being in negotiations with close to 50 others.
Today there are new statistics that show we are making progress. In December there was a posting of a 10% increase in our merchandise exports. For the first time since February 2010, we are now posting a trade surplus rather than a deficit. This is good news.
However, the economic recovery remains fragile. We must continue our efforts. That is why we are working on things such as our free trade negotiations with the European Union to deliver jobs and prosperity for Canadians.