Mr. Speaker, I would like to state on behalf of our government that we support private member's Motion No. 550. At its core, the motion calls upon our government to take steps to provide an increased level of rail service throughout Canada. It is our government's position that we have already taken important steps toward addressing the various concerns that have been outlined in Motion No. 550.
There are a number of elements to this motion. I would like to address them in the short amount of time that I have today.
The motion asks that our government recognize the importance of rail service to Canada's agricultural sector. I maintain that our government understands the importance of the relationship between these two sectors. We have also taken action in recent years to ensure an appropriate framework is in place that will benefit the overall Canadian economy. The vast majority of Canada's agricultural products are destined for export. As such, the agricultural industry is highly dependent on reliable and efficient rail service in order to be able to move this product to export positions across the country. Rail remains the most economically viable form of land-based transportation over long distances in Canada. Overall, an efficient and effective rail transport system is necessary for the prosperity of Canada's economy.
One of my colleagues recited some statistics during the first hour of debate but I think they bear repeating.
In 2013, Canada's railways moved 16.4% of Canada's exports and 8.5% of its imports when measured by value, including $30 billion worth of automobiles, $10.6 billion in chemical products, $9.5 billion in forest products, and $8.2 billion in metals. Finally, the railways also moved $3.5 billion in agriculture and food products. As my hon. colleagues know, in 2013-14 the western Canadian crop was significantly higher than the 10-year average. The harsh winter that followed brought difficult operating conditions for the railways. This put significant pressure on western Canada's grain handling and transportation system. To alleviate some of the difficulties that agricultural producers were facing in getting their product to market, our government announced an order in council on March 7, 2014, setting out the minimum volumes of grain that the Canadian National Railway Company and the Canadian Pacific Railway Limited were each required to move to ensure that Canada's grain could move to market in a predictable and timely way while not affecting the movement of other commodities. This measure helped move the extraordinary backlog of grain.
Motion No. 550 also states that the review of the Canada Transportation Act provides an opportunity to rebalance the system and improve capacity and service, and that changes to the legislative frameworks may be needed to ensure a balance of power between participants in supply chains. Our government took swift action last year by introducing the Fair Rail for Grain Farmers Act to respond to concerns raised by grain shippers to support the movement of Canada's agricultural products to market and also to encourage greater competition between the railways. The legislation was designed to increase supply chain transparency, strengthen the contracts between producers and shippers, provide better accountability in agreements and contracts between shippers and railways, and help ensure the entire grain handling and transportation system is working efficiently and at full capacity.
Last summer, the Minister of Transport also launched a statutory review of the Canada Transportation Act, the CTA, a full year ahead of schedule, to address a range of changing conditions and challenges. The independent review, led by the hon. David Emerson, is currently examining a wide range of issues facing the transportation system in Canada, including those related to the transportation of grain as well as other commodities by rail. Engagement and advice from all interested parties will be essential to this review's success. The review panel will produce its report at the end of the year, at which time our government will study it and report back to Parliament. The review provides an opportunity to examine whether the current legislative framework meets the demands and needs of stakeholders. However, given that the report is not expected for several months, I think it would be premature to presuppose what the panel's recommendations will be and whether further legislative action will be required to address those issues. Therefore, we should wait to see what the recommendations of the panel are.
Finally, the motion asks that we bring industry stakeholders together to enhance the efficiency of the transportation system and make sure that these stakeholders work together to build a world-class transportation system. Collaboration and partnerships throughout the supply chain remain integral to moving as much grain as possible. The supply chain is complex, an integrated network that requires extensive co-operation on the part of everyone involved to increase its overall flexibility.
As part of our response to the 2011 rail freight service review panel's final report, our government committed to the creation of the Commodity Supply Chain Table. The Minister of Transport launched this table last summer. This brings together participants in rail-based supply chains for Canada's most important export commodities. The mandate of that table is to provide a consensus-based national forum for shippers, railways, and other supply chain partners involved in the movement of commodities by rail to identify and address system issues that would improve the reliability, efficiency, and effectiveness of the supply chain.
Members of the table will work together in a collaborative fashion to examine issues affecting fluidity of commodity movement and improve their knowledge of the supply chain for commodities by sharing information on emerging issues and needs. Stakeholders who have participated in the process so far have provided positive feedback about the commodity supply chain table. The work is being undertaken by both the public and private sectors, and it is very encouraging. Participants are looking forward to the next meetings, which are scheduled for later this year.
Our government is supporting efforts that result in the best possible rail-based supply chain system so that Canada's agricultural sector can remain competitive in domestic, continental, and offshore markets. We will continue to closely monitor the functioning of the rail transportation system and its interaction with the agricultural sector, with a view to ensuring that it continues to support our trade objectives and strong overall economic growth.