Mr. Speaker, I am so proud to rise today to speak in support of Bill C-13, legislation that would implement the United Kingdom's accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, or the CPTPP.
At its core, this debate is about more than a trade agreement. It is about Canada's place in the world. It is about the kind of economy we are building and the opportunities we create for the people we are here to serve.
Canada is, and has always been, a trading nation. From the very earliest days of our history, Canadians have looked outward, building relationships, forging partnerships and connecting our ideas, our talent and our resources with the world. Trade is not simply a policy choice for Canada. It is woven into the fabric of who we are and how we grow.
In the modern era, Canada has shown extraordinary leadership in building a global network of high-standard trade agreements that open doors for our workers, our farmers, our entrepreneurs and our innovators. The CPTPP is one of the clearest examples of that leadership. When the future of this agreement was uncertain, Canada stepped forward. We worked with partners across the Pacific to preserve the ambition of the agreement and ensure that it remained a modern, high-standard framework for trade in the Indo-Pacific region. Because of that leadership, the CPTPP entered into force in 2018.
Alongside Canada, the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership brings together a diverse group of economies across the Pacific and beyond. This agreement includes Australia and New Zealand, two advanced agricultural exporters with strong demand for Canadian resources and technology. It includes Singapore, a global financial and logistics hub that connects Canadian companies to Southeast Asian markets. It includes fast-growing Southeast Asian economies such as Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei, with their expanding manufacturing and energy sectors, representing rising markets for Canadian exports. In the Americas, our partners include Mexico, Chile and Peru, which are countries with strong mining, agriculture and industrial ties to Canada and growing two-way trade and investment relationships. It also includes Japan, one of Canada's most important trading partners in Asia and a major market for Canadians.
Japan has about 250 large companies here in Canada, and I can tell members that Mississauga, from the leadership of our former mayor Hazel McCallion, attracted over 100 of those companies. We have such a strong relationship with Japan, and through CPTPP, we continue to grow that. It means a world of difference to so many Mississaugans and so many in my community of Mississauga EastâCooksville.
Together, these partners, along with the first new member of CPTPP, the U.K., create a broad network of markets that supports Canadian exporters, strengthens supply chains and expands trade opportunities across multiple regions of the global economy. Put simply, in 2026, this agreement represents one of the most dynamic and forward-looking economic partnerships in the world, and the impact has been real. Since its adoption, trade between Canada and our CPTPP partners has grown significantly.
Canadian exporters, from seafood harvesters to grain farmers, manufacturers and technology companies, are reaching new markets and building new relationships across the Indo-Pacific. That growth represents opportunity for a family-owned manufacturer in a small town that is exporting its products for the first time, opportunity for farmers who are finding new customers halfway around the world, opportunity for Canadian innovators who are competing and winning on the global stage. That is what trade diversification looks like in practice, and it is why our government is pursuing the most ambitious trade diversification agenda in a generation.
Canada will always have a deep and enduring relationship with the United States. It is our closest ally and our largest trading partner. However, in a rapidly changing global economy, Canada must continue to expand its reach and strengthen its ties with partners around the world. That is why we have set an ambitious goal to double Canada's non-U.S. exports over the next decade. Let us think about what that means. It means more Canadian companies entering global markets. It means more investment in Canadian communities. It means more good-paying jobs for workers across our country. Reaching that goal does not just happen by accident. It will take determination, leadership and a true team Canada effort.
That is where Bill C-13 comes in. Welcoming the United Kingdom into the CPTPP would be a powerful step forward for the partnership and for Canada's trade diversification strategy. The United Kingdom is one of the world's largest economies and one of Canada's closest friends and allies. Our countries share deep historical ties, vibrant people-to-people connections and a common belief in democracy, transparency and the rule of law.
By joining the CPTPP, the United Kingdom would become part of a dynamic economic partnership that stretches across the Indo-Pacific and connects markets representing hundreds of millions of customers. For Canada, this would strengthen a partnership built on high standards, open markets and fair rules. It would create new opportunities for Canadian exporters in advanced manufacturing, financial services and the digital economy. It would strengthen a resilient supply chain among trusted partners and reinforce our trading relationship with a trusted and true Commonwealth partner at a time when those bonds are more important than ever.
Opening doors is just the beginning. The crucial work and next step is to ensure that Canadians walk through those doors. Achieving our goal of doubling non-U.S. exports will require every region in this country to be engaged, every province, territory, riding and community, because the potential to trade with the world does not belong to just one part of Canada. It belongs to all of Canada.
As members of Parliament, we each have a role to play. Yes, we pass the legislation that brings agreements like this into force, and many members on the trade committee have spoken about the legislation. We focus on reviewing the trade bills and completing studies centred on how we can improve Canada's trade ties. However, we can do a lot more than that. We can make sure businesses in our communities know that Canada has one of the most extensive networks of free trade agreements anywhere in the world. We can work hand in hand with our chambers of commerce and boards of trade to promote opportunities.
I do this whenever we have a trade agreement. I bring in all stakeholders to the Mississauga Board of Trade to ensure they understand the agreement and are able to capitalize on it and the opportunities it represents.
We can engage with our universities and colleges, which are nurturing the next generation of entrepreneurs, innovators and global business leaders. We can help connect Canadian businesses, especially small and mid-sized enterprises, with the tools and knowledge they need to succeed in these international markets. When they get that first order, organizations like Export Development Canada, our regional development agencies and more have programs and supports available to make that growth happen, so they can scale up to new heights. That is the team Canada approach.
Canada helped lead the creation of the CPTPP. We helped bring it to life. Today, we have the opportunity to make it that much stronger. By supporting Bill C-13, and welcoming the U.K. into the partnership, we would expand opportunity for Canadians, strengthen our economy and reinforce Canada's leadership in building a more open and prosperous global trading system. Together, with a team Canada approach, we can grow our exports, expand our horizons and build a future of shared prosperity for Canadians in my community, Mississauga and every part of our country. That is a future worth standing up for.