Debates of Nov. 26th, 2024

U.S. Tariffs on Canadian Products

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Madam Speaker, as a general rule, the Conservatives are often found missing in action when it comes to dealing with the issue of trade. Let me give some examples. Today, they had to follow the NDP lead in getting an emergency debate on the issue. Getting down to the nuts and bolts of the issue of trade with the United States, the first thing the Conservatives did the last time, when things got a little bit difficult, was to capitulate. In essence, they said we should give the Americans whatever it took to get an agreement.

As a government, we have done this before with President-elect Trump. We will be able to do it again by using a team of experts, who I would suggest are the best trade negotiators in the world, from within our civil service. I wonder if my colleague could provide his thoughts about the quality of the individuals that Canada has to offer in negotiating good trade agreements for Canadians.

[Brian Masse, NDP, Windsor West, ON]

Madam Speaker, it is correct that we do have some experts along with good officials. There is a whole repertoire of people and relationships. I will be working, and others will be working at their national and subnational levels on the effect that this would have on Americans because the tariffs will be paid by Americans at the end of the day. The government will collect the sums of money.

However, I think it is important to point out that the government needs to stop itself from hurting itself further. A good example of that is the reduction of border hours. The government had an agreement with the previous administration where it closed ports of entry in Canada and moved staff outside of those areas. It did not agree to open up a training facility in Windsor to add the more than 2,000 to 3,000 workers we need on our border. It also did not expand CBSA officers' powers to deal with some of the issues of gun control and so forth.

I am hoping that the government changes itself from waiting and seeing what is going to happen to actually taking some tactical advantage of what we can control to alleviate some of the problems that are being pushed on us.

[James Bezan, Conservative, Selkirk—Interlake—Eastman, MB]

Madam Speaker, we just witnessed some very partisan comments from the member for Winnipeg North of the Liberal caucus on this very serious issue, which would impact Canada and all Canadians. This is a time that we need to put partisanship aside.

Would my colleague from the NDP agree to put partisanship aside to work together in the best interests of protecting Canadian jobs, protecting Canadian salaries and protecting our industries here at this point in time?

[Brian Masse, NDP, Windsor West, ON]

Madam Speaker, I absolutely would. The reason I brought up the Conservative cuts to the CBSA was not to attack, but to point out the mere fact that we have structurally reduced our empowerment at the border and we have to make those jobs up. If we can find solutions to unite us on this, we need to do that. First of all, we have to stop hurting ourselves and our capability to fight back against unfair allegations from Donald Trump.

[Blake Desjarlais, NDP, Edmonton Griesbach, AB]

Madam Speaker, I want to thank my hon. colleague from Windsor West for starting us off this evening and for his incredibly difficult and hard work in achieving today's debate.

New Democrats are deeply concerned and troubled by the fact that, just south of us, American conservatives are yet again attacking Canadian industry. This person, Mr. Donald Trump, is someone who Canadians know all too well. He is like a scary movie. We have seen this scary movie before. He was president once already. In any good scary film that one watches a second time, one knows just when the scary scenes are and when to close one's eyes.

We have known for a long time who Mr. Trump is. We have known for a long time exactly what his intentions are and what he thinks about Canadians. He takes us for granted and kicks us when it is convenient.

Unfortunately, the Liberals and the Conservatives always bow down to him. That is the problem we are facing today. Consecutive Liberal and Conservative governments have always been at the whim of America and its demands. We need the kind of Canada that demonstrates to our workers and our industries that we care about them and value their tremendous support, so much so that we would invest in them.

The member for Windsor West made it clear that the very serious issues at the border are man-made. They were made by the Liberals and the Conservatives. The Conservatives cut over a thousand CBSA workers, which was shameful, and today they are coming to this place saying that we need to be non-partisan now, after they already messed it up and broke the system. The Liberals inherited that system and found it convenient to just keep many of those aspects.

Canada, as a matter of fact, does not have an immense trade deficit with the United States. It is just not going to the right people. It is going to billionaires on Bay Street and Wall Street, and Canadians are always left behind.

We have some of the best labour and skills across the globe. My home province of Alberta has the best labour right across this country. They are skilled labourers who are doing the hard work every single day. They know, when they are drilling in our oil and energy sector, for example, that it is a tough job. They send all of that product over to the United States, and then we import the developed product, gasoline, and pay more for it because of it.

For a long time, Albertans have asked me, when I knock on doors, why we cannot produce these goods right here in Canada. They ask me why we cannot produce the things that make Canada great right here at home. New Democrats are the only ones who stand by our tremendous labourers here in Canada. We know their value. We are going to support them in their jobs. We are going to make sure that Mr. Trump knows exactly who he is messing with.

Canada accounts for a tremendous amount of trade with the United States, so much so that it relies on us. That means Americans are going to have to start paying a lot more for the goods that we make here in Canada, things like the products that go into building homes. Can members guess what that would mean for the American family that wants to buy a home? Donald Trump is prepared to increase the cost of their home. He is ready to increase the cost of groceries and gasoline too. For every single good, Donald Trump is prepared to make Americans pay more.

Canada has an opportunity here. We are an immensely courageous country, but also one that belongs to a globe that needs us. We know that. Canadian goods, services, jobs and products can go elsewhere. We need to show the United States, show Donald Trump, that our industries are not only the best industries that produce the best quality, but are also desired elsewhere. They are desired in Europe, Asia, Australia and New Zealand. They are desired right across the globe. Canadian-made products are the best products in the world. We need to diversify our trade. We have trade partners that so desperately want to see a Canadian trade agreement to bring our goods and services right to their doorstep.

However, we have been through the fight once already. We have been through what Trump tried in the past, and we have seen the record of the Liberals. We have seen them try over and over again to defend sectors, even against the Democrats, and we have seen it play out with softwood lumber and the very real and serious impacts related to that.

Canada can use tariffs, but we should not be using tariffs to instigate a trade war just to race to the bottom and make everybody pay. We should institute trade policies and tariffs that are very precise, that have a very important objective and that are used as part and parcel of a larger trade policy that looks at, for example, benefits to indigenous people, to our environment and to the care economy.

People need to know that when we use our economic might, we are using our economic strength to help regular, everyday people. That is why we have an economy. It is not to make more billionaires like Donald Trump even richer. It is not to serve Bay Street here in Canada just so it can continue to exploit labour elsewhere. No, Canadians put their hard-earned time and their blood, sweat and tears into the great products we make because they know that it is for their family and for our country, and for us to be able to share our tremendous wealth with all people who need it.

We have an ability in this country to end poverty, which is something New Democrats have always been consistent about. We know that if we use the tremendous power and wealth of our country, we can in fact eliminate child poverty. We can eliminate waiting lines at hospitals. We can build a social safety net such that no matter when someone falls down, and I say “when”, not “if”, they will get back up. That is the kind of Canada New Democrats believe in, and it starts with sound and strong trade policies.

When a country like the United States does not want to play fair with us, does not want fair trade, then we have to have the courage and the ability to make certain we are prepared as a country to defend our industries, defend our labour and look to the very beautiful and Canadian-made solutions we can develop right here at home. We can do that, and as a matter of fact we have done it in the past.

There was a time of hyperinstability at the end of World War II, and global free trade was at its limit, barely happening. However, Canada did not resign itself to being unable to support the war effort, unable to generate revenue and unable to generate good jobs. No, we did the exact opposite; we looked to our fellow neighbours at that time and we asked ourselves what we could do for each other. We sent a million men and women overseas to fight Nazi terrorism in Europe.

Here at home, everybody else went to work. We organized over 100 crown corporations. We organized our labour to produce some of the best steel the world had ever seen. We used our tremendous might as an industrial country to make things that had never been made before. Canada was an innovator. Canada achieved immense respect for our tremendous support for our industries.

The subsequent decades, especially the 1980s, would see the Liberals and Conservatives selling off as many public goods as possible, leaving us with nothing today. They sold everything. They speak about a balanced budget, but they do not know how to balance a budget. Do members know what they know how to do? They know how to sell Canadian assets.

I will give a good example: oil, right in my province of Alberta, right where the former prime minister of Canada, Stephen Harper, came from, a member of the Conservative Party who often says how great and powerful Alberta's energy sector is, and I agree. We have the best skilled labour and the best workers possible, but what Harper will not tell us is that he gambled our future in 2008. He sold Nexen to CNOOC, a Chinese-controlled corporation, in order to balance the budget. He still lost the election, but this is part and parcel of the kind of history we have to restore.

We need to set the record straight that New Democrats are the ones who protect labour, New Democrats are the ones who protect jobs and New Democrats will be the ones who stop Donald Trump and his ridiculous ploy to make Americans and Canadians pay. The world needs more Canada. The world needs more Canadian products. The world is ready for it, and New Democrats are ready too. We will find trade partners, diversify our trade and make sure that our jobs are protected.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Madam Speaker, I believe that diversification of trade is critically important to all Canadians, which is one of the reasons we were very anxious, along with Ukraine, to actually have a Canada-Ukraine trade agreement. It was something that was widely respected and applauded, with the exception of the Conservatives of course, both in Canada and in Ukraine, as both countries benefited.

However, there is more potential out there. For example, I would like to see more trade relations with Canada and the Philippines, an area in which, in early December, we are going to be spending more time on.

I am wondering whether the member can pick up on the importance of diversity, and Canada's diversifying its trading opportunities, because we are very much a trading nation.

[Blake Desjarlais, NDP, Edmonton Griesbach, AB]

Madam Speaker, Canada's economy is one that has been organized over the last 150 years largely as a raw extract exporter. What that means is that we take raw material, like a log, a rail or oil, and we export it. We do not have any value-added mechanism for Canadian products. We need to have that here. That is the first step.

We need not only to make sure our products are more competitive and more innovative across the globe but also to then work, as the member suggests, in making certain that those products have a home to go to. Ukraine needs Canadian products. The Philippines needs Canadian products.

The market around the globe right now is so desperate for Canadian innovation and our Canadian products that it baffles me that we would be so concerned right now with the fact that the United States is implementing a tariff. This is why I am so confident, for those who are scared about this issue, that we will fight back and will protect our industries while also diversifying our economy.

[Elizabeth May, Green, Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC]

Madam Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague from Edmonton Griesbach for pointing out that our economic planning in Canada has been to ignore Canadian jobs in order to have a rip-and-strip economy where raw resources are pulled out and shipped overseas without additional value added and without providing jobs for Canadian workers, such as with raw logs, raw bitumen and so on.

I want to ask my hon. colleague whether he has looked at the literature. Canada is always plagued by falling behind in productivity. Productivity as a measurement improves whenever the ratio of goods that have received value added, manufactured goods, grows in relation to the export of raw, unprocessed goods. Would he agree with me that it is time Canada actually paid attention to jobs for Canadian workers and not ship out more trees, more fish, more bitumen without the processing that brings growth and productivity to our economy?

[Blake Desjarlais, NDP, Edmonton Griesbach, AB]

Madam Speaker, I want to thank my colleague from Saanich—Gulf Islands for her wisdom and her history. She often shares in this place unique history that all of us as members could benefit from. One of the history points she is mentioning is the fact that we have an economy that has largely been a rip-and-extract economy that just exports raw product elsewhere.

We need to have an industrial strategy. It is the 21st century. Dinosaur parties in here keep thinking they are the Hudson's Bay Company and that they can just keep extracting whatever they want and keep selling whatever they want to anybody, with no value added. That does not help workers. They have the skills and the access to the immense technology we have; we should be developing everything from A to Z right here in Canada, and we can produce those products and export them too.

We need to have an economy that truly matches the industrial and innovative strength we have in this country. We have so much more to offer the world, and the Conservatives and the Liberals are letting us down.

[Lindsay Mathyssen, NDP, London—Fanshawe, ON]

Madam Speaker, one of the things the member mentioned briefly was about free trade versus fair trade. I would really love for him to expand on that, why the Democrats believe in fair trade and how we would negotiate trade deals differently so they actually do benefit the workers he was talking about.

[Blake Desjarlais, NDP, Edmonton Griesbach, AB]

Madam Speaker, fair trade is the principle and core of any decent and good relationship we should have with any country and for workers right around the world. Workers are united in our ability to not just contribute to our countries also to be dignified in our work. That does not mean just workers here in Canada; that means workers right around the world. We need our countries, like Canada, to put in place within our trade agreements protections for labour, protections for indigenous people and protections for our environment. It is the only reasonable and responsible way to trade in the 21st century.

[Chrystia Freeland, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance]

Madam Speaker, before I begin, will say that I would like to split my time with the member for Brampton East.

I am really pleased to rise and to speak to tonight's very important debate. Canada and the United States have one of the strongest and closest relationships in the world, particularly when it comes to trade and to our shared border and border security. Canada places the highest priority on border security and on the integrity of our shared border.

Yesterday evening, the Prime Minister spoke with President-elect Donald Trump. He had the opportunity to point out that the economic relationship between Canada and the United States is balanced and mutually beneficial, particularly for American workers. The fact is that we need them and they also need us.

Canada is the largest export market for the United States in the world. It is larger than China, Japan, the United Kingdom and France combined. It is also the case that the things we sell to the United States are the things it really needs. We sell the United States oil, electricity and critical minerals and metals.

Canada is essential to the United States' domestic energy supply. Last year, 60% of U.S. crude oil imports originated in Canada, and the energy the United States imports from Canada is more important today than ever, at a time when we see how hungry AI is for energy and how important AI is in the economic vision of the new U.S. administration. Canada's critical minerals and metals are absolutely essential as well, as we in North America seek to develop supply chains which are resilient and secure, and critically, supply chains that do not make us dependent on China.

Our government is committed to a team Canada approach. Tomorrow the Prime Minister will be meeting with the first ministers of provinces and territories. We have been working and will continue to work with business and labour leaders from coast to coast to coast.

Specifically, in the days since the U.S. election, I have met with labour leaders, leaders from the steel industry, leaders from the car sector, leaders of Canada's major pension funds, leaders from the oil and gas sector, leaders from the nuclear sector, leaders from the aluminum sector, leaders from the electricity sector, leaders of our major banks, Canada's AI leaders, and Canada's leading innovators. This is team Canada.

Yesterday, we held the fourth meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Canada-U.S. relations, which I chair. Much of our work has focused and continues to focus on the border and trade relations between our two countries.

When it comes to the border, let me be clear both to Canadians and to our American neighbours: Law enforcement agencies from our two countries, the RCMP, the Canada Border Services Agency, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, work together every single day to disrupt the scourge of fentanyl coming from China and other countries. In addition, the CBSA is continuously strengthening its ability to detect opioids through enhanced inspections at ports of entry, with detector dogs and emerging technologies.

Canada and Canadians have the right and the need to have total control over who enters our country. Our American neighbours likewise have the right and the need to totally control who enters their country. Canada is absolutely committed to working with our American neighbours to ensure that their northern border is fully secure, even as we work to ensure that our southern border is fully secure.

Of course, we are going to continue to discuss these issues with the new administration.

This is a moment when Canada needs to be united. We need to be strong. We need to be smart. We all know that we face significant challenges. We also know that there are real opportunities. We know that by working together, by playing as a united team Canada, Canada can and will be successful.

[Ryan Williams, Conservative, Bay of Quinte, ON]

Madam Speaker, strange things happened last time we went around to negotiate CUSMA. The biggest problem was when Canada went to deal with the Trump administration and found it was unmatched. Months prior to the actual agreement being signed, Canada was left on the sidelines. Mexico came to the table and what happened was really phenomenal: Mexico became the U.S.'s number one trading partner in only four years after signing, while Canada has dropped to third.

Why does the finance minister think, if she could not sign a deal that made and kept Canada number one, that we will have anything different this time?

[Chrystia Freeland, Liberal, University—Rosedale, ON]

Madam Speaker, I know what happened at the negotiating table for the new NAFTA because I was there.

Let me say that the outcome Canada achieved by playing as a united team Canada was exceptional. It was very strong and it is the foundation of Canada's economic security and of our relationship with the United States today. We achieved a new NAFTA, supported by the incoming Trump administration, which has guaranteed the trade between our two countries and fair labour standards for Canadian and U.S. workers, which is bringing jobs back to Canada and is at the heart of the renaissance of Canada's auto sector.

[Louis-Philippe Sauvé, Bloc, LaSalle—Émard—Verdun, QC]

Madam Speaker, we are of course concerned about trade relations, as everyone in the House is, but we believe we must not let ourselves be influenced.

Historically, we have always drawn closer to Europe whenever we had issues with our neighbours to the south. I was at the NATO reception last Friday. I spoke with members of the Bundestag, and there seems to be a real openness to a closer relationship between Canada, the European Union and Germany.

Are the Minister of Finance and her government considering deepening ties between Canada and the European Union to counterbalance the influence of the U.S. president-elect?

[Chrystia Freeland, Liberal, University—Rosedale, ON]

Madam Speaker, that is a very good question.

We agree that our European allies and partners are very important to us. We are proud that our government was the one to sign a free trade agreement with the European Union. It is important for diversifying our international trade. We are very closely allied with our partners in the European Union. Of course, we have always worked with our European partners and we will continue to do so.

About team Canada, I would like to point out that, yesterday, the Prime Minister had a very good conversation with Premier Legault of Quebec.

[Blake Desjarlais, NDP, Edmonton Griesbach, AB]

Madam Speaker, it is an important time for us to unite toward a very important opponent that is on the precipice of a trade war with us. I need to ask a very important question on behalf of labour.

Labour has been asking this question for over a decade, since the 2008 economic crisis, COVID-19 and, of course, the climate crisis we are in. It has not seemed to be enough to convince the government to take a sectoral industrial strategy seriously. We have workers who need to know where the puck is going.

Is the Deputy Prime Minister now prepared to finally adopt an industrial strategy for some of our most hardest-hit sectors?

[Chrystia Freeland, Liberal, University—Rosedale, ON]

Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the member for Edmonton Griesbach for his hard work and his commitment to his community and to working people.

I was very glad today to have a meeting with Bea Bruske, the head of the CLC. We talked about how important our union leaders will be, playing as part of team Canada, in the work we will be doing with our U.S. neighbours. I really want to thank her and labour leaders across Canada for the work they did playing for team Canada with the previous Trump administration. I know Canada can count on them because we recognize that trade and industry are central to the jobs of Canadian workers.

I want to say to Canadian workers that we will stand up for you.

[Maninder Sidhu, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Export Promotion]

Mr. Speaker, it is an immense privilege to stand before you today and speak to one of the most critical relations our nation has ever known, the enduring and dynamic partnership between Canada and the United States of America.

Today, as we gather here in this great country, we are not just reflecting on the past. We are setting our sights firmly on a future where the Canada-U.S. relationship not only endures but thrives, and where it grows stronger, more prosperous and more resilient than ever before.

Let me start by stating this clearly: The Canada-U.S. relationship is one of the most important, powerful and mutually beneficial partnerships in the world, and it is a partnership that remains our top priority in the years ahead. We share a border that spans close to 9,000 kilometres, stretching across cities, towns and regions where people live, work and dream on both sides of that line and across the nation. Every single day, 3.3 billion dollars' worth of goods and services cross our border, enriching both of our countries, supporting millions of jobs and ensuring our economies remain strong, competitive and interconnected.

Let us be clear about one thing: Canada is not just a neighbour to the United States; we are closely linked through friendship, geography and economic ties. Over 30 U.S. states count Canada as their top trading partner. We are the number one export destination for American goods. When the United States looks to grow, to innovate and to advance, they look north to Canada and we should take immense pride in that.

We are not just about trade. We are about the strength of shared values, of common interest and of a deep and enduring commitment to each other's prosperity, security and well-being. We share the same values of democracy, human rights, freedom and the rule of law. We stand side by side as allies, friends and partners.

Let us take a moment to talk about the undeniable power of our economic relationship. In 2022, the total trade between our two nations surpassed a staggering $1.3 trillion. Yes, that is right: $1.3 trillion. This is a trade partnership that drives our economies, creates jobs, fosters innovation and provides opportunities for millions of families on both sides of the border.

I know some may say, “Sure, that trade is impressive, but what about the challenges? What about the risks?” To that I say challenges and risks exist in any relationship, but the true test of a partnership lies not in avoiding these challenges but in how we face them together. There is no stronger partnership on the planet than the one between Canada and the United States. We face challenges, but together we tackle them, together we find solutions and together we weather the storm, secure our borders, promote sustainable growth and create the conditions for the next generations to thrive.

That is why we have committed ourselves to working even harder to deepen this relationship through many initiatives like the team Canada-U.S. engagement strategy. Cabinet colleagues, MPs and officials have travelled across the United States, engaged in over 33 states, held over 300 meetings, and engaged with hundreds of businesses and elected officials on both sides of the aisle. This has been no small effort. It has been a direct, sustained and unwavering commitment to ensuring that Canada's voice is heard loud and clear in Washington and beyond.

This effort is not simply about diplomacy; it is about action. It is about ensuring that Canada remains not just a participant but a leader in the global economy. It is about creating new opportunities for Canadians and Americans alike, whether in trade, investment or innovation. It is about making sure every sector, whether it is agriculture, technology, manufacturing or energy, continues to thrive, to grow and to create jobs for people.

Now let me talk about our people for a moment. This relationship is not just about governments and corporations. It is about individuals, families, communities and businesses that rely on our shared connection every single day. One in six jobs in Canada is directly tied to exports, nearly three million jobs in total. Over six million jobs in the United States depend on the success of our shared economic and trade relationship. This is not just a statistic; it is a lifeline and a testament to the tangible, real-world impact of the partnership between our two nations.

What is next? What can we do to ensure this partnership continues to thrive?

The answer is clear: We keep engaging, we keep working together, we keep listening to each other, we remain vigilant and we continue to make strategic investments in the partnerships between our countries. We are not standing still. We are not resting on our laurels. We have a proven track record in working with multiple American administrations. We have worked with a Trump administration before.

We have put in place a new cabinet committee on Canada-U.S. relations led by the Deputy Prime Minister, who is tirelessly engaging with sectors across the country to ensure Canada's interests are protected and advanced. We will continue to engage at every level, across every sector and in every community. Our efforts are not just reactive; they are proactive. We are anticipating the needs of our businesses, our workers and our communities, and we are preparing for the challenges ahead, whether securing our borders, advancing economic opportunities, addressing the challenges of a changing climate or ensuring the supply chains that connect our two countries remain resilient and strong. We are committed by staying ahead of the curve.

Let me make one thing absolutely clear: The future of Canada-U.S. relations is not just about governments; it is about people. It is about the small businesses on either side of the border we represent, the industries we work in and the communities we live in. The Canada-U.S. relationship is our relationship. It is about ensuring that the opportunities we create are accessible to everyone, that the benefits of this partnership are shared by all and that we remain united in our effort to build a better future for our children and grandchildren.

In this rapidly changing world, we are presented with incredible opportunities. Yes, there will be challenges, but I am confident that together, Canada and the United States will rise to meet them. We will not shy away from the tough conversations. We will not turn our backs when challenges arise. Instead, we will lean in, engage and collaborate.

Let me conclude with this: We are not just talking about a trade agreement. We are talking about a relationship that has stood the test of time and has grown stronger with every passing year, and this will continue to be the cornerstone of our future. It is a relationship that has weathered storms, faced adversity and come out on the other side stronger. We will continue to defend it. We will continue to work tirelessly to ensure Canada and the United States remain the closest, most trusted partners in the world, because the Canada-U.S. relationship is non-negotiable. It is foundational. It is vital to the prosperity, security and well-being of both our countries, and it is worth every effort to protect, strengthen and deepen.

[Ryan Williams, Conservative, Bay of Quinte, ON]

Mr. Speaker, after nine years of the current government, and after we signed CUSMA the last round, something phenomenal happened. Mexico became the U.S.'s number one trading partner. Canada was not even second. Canada at this point is actually number three.

When we watched what happened last time, who was the prime minister who actually sunk the relationship? CUSMA almost did not get signed. Actually, at the end of the G7 summit, when it was supposed to be signed, it was White House staffer Peter Navarro who said to a reporter that there was a “special place in hell” for the Prime Minister. That is how bad relationships were.

At the end of the day, after this time, we have had an increase in the carbon tax. We have had an increase in capital gains tax. We have no leverage. My question to the member is this: Is it not time for a prime minister who will stand up for Canada and make a deal for Canadians?

[Maninder Sidhu, Liberal, Brampton East, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it was our government that renegotiated NAFTA in 2018. It was our government that stood up when the Conservative Party of Canada said to capitulate, give in and give everything they want. We stood strong. We got the agreement, and last year, there was $1.3 trillion of trade between our two countries. It is the Liberal government that signed close to 15 free trade agreements that gave access to 61% of global GDP, and we will continue to negotiate trade for our industries and our workers so we continue to remain strong as a trading nation.

[Taylor Bachrach, NDP, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I note that the tariffs announced by our southern neighbour bring into sharp focus the very serious situation when it comes to softwood lumber, and what we have seen from this government is a real lack of focus and attention to a critical trade situation amid the closure of hundreds of mills in Canada.

As such, my question to the member is this: On the 19th, the new minister of forests in British Columbia wrote a letter to the member's colleague, the Minister of International Trade, asking the government for a concerted approach. I cannot help but think, as a British Columbian, that if the softwood lumber dispute involved another sector in central Canada, the government's approach to that issue would be far more concerted.

What, specifically, is the government going to do to address the softwood lumber situation that we face, which is costing us jobs, costing us mills and costing our country and our industries millions and millions of dollars?

[Maninder Sidhu, Liberal, Brampton East, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the lumber industry is a very important industry to Canada. It provides support to thousands of families in B.C., Quebec, eastern Canada and all across our country. It is important that we continue to talk to industry, to consult with industry as we work through this, because we know that we want to continue to be there for industry, especially the softwood lumber industry, as its members continue to innovate and invest. We know it is very important and that it is vital that we continue to support those jobs across our country.

[Elizabeth May, Green, Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC]

Mr. Speaker, this question would be more appropriately put to the Minister of Finance, but unfortunately I did not get the question in then. I am hoping that he will feel he can speak on behalf of the government on this point.

As we go into this war of nationalist populism with the U.S. government and hope to come out on the other side, as we did last time, with our economy intact, I am particularly concerned that we not cut loose our other trading partner, Mexico. Mexico suffered grievously through NAFTA and lost 1.3 million farm jobs. Its agricultural sector suffered. In the maquiladoras, labour rights were abused and the environment damaged. It would be easy for us now to say, “So much for Mexico. We have our own fight with Trump.”

I wonder if the Canadian government is prepared to hold fast and allow trading partners from the original NAFTA, now CUSMA, to stick together against a U.S. president who wants to flex tariff muscles.

[Maninder Sidhu, Liberal, Brampton East, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the U.S. and Mexico are very important trading partners to Canada. Our supply chains are intertwined. We need to continue to build up that resiliency, whether it is for our workers, our supply chains or our products. Of course, we will continue working with both parties, the U.S. and Mexico. However, as we have heard from the Prime Minister, there are concerns about Mexico being a backdoor entry for Chinese goods entering our North American supply chains.

Like I said in my speech, there are always going to be challenges that we need to work through but we will continue working with our partners to the south, with the U.S. and Mexico.