Madam Chair, the minister spoke earlier tonight of his role as Canada's chief marketing officer in both promoting Canada's exports to the world and in attracting international investment. There are, I am sure, several tools in the minister's toolkit he can use in these efforts, such as trade missions like his most recent trip to China to promote the sale of Canadian softwood lumber. Another tool, however, is Export Development Canada. EDC is a crown corporation within the minister's mandate, which is intended to help Canadian companies benefit from international business opportunities.
Could the minister tell us about EDC's work in helping Canadian businesses succeed on the international stage and about how important a tool this is for promoting trade?