Finance committee  That is correct. The 72 countries that will no longer qualify for the general preferential tariff will now pay the most favoured nation tariff for those goods post-January 1, 2015.

Finance committee  Yes, we've had very positive feedback on the program.

Finance committee  Sure. I think what's happened in Canada—and we started out with this discussion about the dates—is that these have been in place for 10-year periods and have then continued on, generally with little review. For example, the last time was in 2004. The Doha Round was a relativel

Finance committee  If I could, when these changes were proposed in December 2012 there was a full consultation with Canadians, and we heard from retailers. One of the things they talked about was giving lead time for these changes. We were proposing an 18-month lead time from the time of consultati

Finance committee  I'm saying that what we heard back from retailers was that they needed more time to shift sources of supply.

Finance committee  Yes, that's fair to say. The original goal was to help economic growth in poorer developing countries, and to help export diversification, help them move to a manufacturing base.

Finance committee  That's correct. Most of the benefits of the program accrued to China—I think 75% to 80%.

Finance committee  That's correct. On those 1,200 products, there was a preference over competing imports and Canadian manufacturers.

Finance committee  I think it's fair to say that China is a very competitive export economy and doesn't need this.

Finance committee  I'm not.

Finance committee  I think that's fair. Really, what we're talking about is about $10 billion of imports out of $460 billion of imports into Canada, so it's about 2% of imports. I think retailers have asked for the opportunity to shift to a duty-free source of supply, and two years is seen as a s

Finance committee  I think that's fair. For example, the United States doesn't offer a beneficial—

Finance committee  My name is Dean Beyea, and I am the director of the international trade policy division at the Department of Finance. With me is Patrick Halley, who is the senior chief of tariff and trade policy at the department.

Finance committee  I think I can speak to that. The programs exist now. The general preferential tariff for both the developing and least-developed countries exist now. They're in the law, and they're set to expire June 30, 2014. They're being extended now through this bill to the date I think you

Finance committee  The tariff reductions certainly aren't expected to increase prices. I think maybe you're crossing the two elements here. One is a reduction of tariffs on sports and exercise equipment and baby clothes. Those tariffs were eliminated. There are 38 tariff items in all that were elim