International Trade committee  The CPTPP, which is what it ended being, is an agreement we didn't support. We didn't support it on the basis of having full reciprocal access to markets in the countries that are part of that agreement. Some of those countries, even while the negotiation was under way, were introducing more constraints and restricting access, such as Vietnam.

International Trade committee  CETA was an improvement.

International Trade committee  If we didn't have CUSMA, and we couldn't operate as a fully integrated industry, we would not be competitive, globally speaking. It's very critical.

International Trade committee  How much time do we have? A short response is.... Well, to begin with, let's start with zero-emission vehicles. Basically, they're electric vehicles or fuel cell vehicles, absolutely, and they're already in the market now at a pace that is unprecedented. There are many more new models and many more sales.

International Trade committee  Yes. Some of these other partnerships that I mentioned earlier in terms of software and sensors are very much a part of those vehicles. In other words, that's a component of the design cycle, or the design that goes into these vehicles, which is shared across these companies.

International Trade committee  When you say larger vehicles, I'm not sure what you mean by that. I represent Fiat Chrysler, Ford and General Motors. These are some of the largest traditional vehicle manufacturers in Canada and in North America in multinationals. Many of the things I've addressed today are things that all vehicle manufacturers, in many respects, support in Canada.

International Trade committee  I would say no for this reason. When we talk about smog-related emission standards for instance, we've aligned with the United States. It is the most stringent national standard in the world. When we talk about GHG standards, it's also a very aggressive year-over-year improvement.

International Trade committee  Absolutely. Certainty enables decision-makers to make decisions about investments not just in Canada but in the U.S. and Mexico. Our Canadian manufacturers are now entering another cycle of new investment. If they don't have that certainty, these decisions will be postponed and that's simply a lost opportunity.

International Trade committee  We can see scenarios where there would be potential expansion, if you will, or opportunities, but as I also said in my remarks earlier, CUSMA is simply the basis to move forward. It's the entrance fee, if you will, to continue doing what we're doing, but it does not provide that guarantee in the future unless many of these other things that I've mentioned, these other parameters, these other issues, get addressed as well.

International Trade committee  As I said, Mr. Arya, there are no guarantees. We operate in a high-cost environment. We have to ensure that we are not as competitive as other jurisdictions; we have to be better than other jurisdictions. The question becomes: What if we didn't have this? The downside is far greater.

International Trade committee  Well, the answer to part of that question is yes. Again, it comes back to what it takes to produce profitably in Canada, given all the high costs we have to face.

International Trade committee  I would say not if we address many of these issues that I've identified.

International Trade committee  Starting with the latter, I'm not aware of any direct negotiations that fall into that category. At the same time, we've said that one needs a reasonable time to make sure that all of these systems and processes are in place. I think governments in all three countries need to take that into consideration.

International Trade committee  Is that question addressed to me, Mr. Lewis?

International Trade committee  Again, our industry has been deeply integrated for many years. We've worked exceptionally closely with the Canada Border Services Agency. Following 9/11 for instance, we instituted FAST-related programs, so we address security. Customs and the border are an extension of our just-in-time delivery system so we have made many developments over time.