International Trade committee  We're also very concerned by reports that the United States may be considering withdrawing from the WTO government procurement agreement. This is an agreement that means a lot to Canada and to Canadian business in terms of ensuring reciprocal rights for government procurement access.

International Trade committee  We have expressed concerns over the years for a variety of different types of buy America measures. These are obviously measures that can and do have very significant implications for Canadian business. When measures have been proposed or enacted, we have sought out opportunities for us to raise these kinds of concerns using a variety of different channels.

International Trade committee  We have not, although that option is there for us should we decide that is a route we want to take.

International Trade committee  As a country that is highly dependent on free and open trade, Canada is very much committed to maintaining the basic principles that govern the WTO. That being said, as part of our commitment to make trade more inclusive for Canadians but also globally, we have put a fair amount of emphasis on making sure that the kinds of rules that we have at the WTO work for everyone, whether that is in developing countries, where we need to be looking at how we take into account development considerations in terms of rule-making, or whether that is small and medium-sized enterprises, including through the initiative that has been recently launched dealing with micro, small and medium-sized enterprises.

International Trade committee  I may be biased, but certainly we have received very good feedback from all WTO members in terms of the role we have taken. Our objective has been—at least at the start of these discussions—to try to build support for WTO reform in order to make sure that the organization is still relevant.

International Trade committee  Thank you for your very good question. The fact is the WTO has not kept pace with the manner in which trade has actually been conducted over the last decade or so. We do not have disciplines on electronic commerce, for example, which is increasingly a modality by which a lot of international trade is conducted.

International Trade committee  In terms of providing a little background, there are two levels of dispute settlement at the WTO: the panel stage and the appellate body or the appeal stage. At this point, cases at the panel stage are still proceeding as normal. The issue we have run into now, as a result of the impasse in appointments to the appellate body, is that it is possible for a party, at the time a panel decision is issued, to appeal that dispute into what is effectively “the void”, meaning that, because there is no quorum to hear the appeal, the case does not progress further.

International Trade committee  I think that's a very timely question. Minister Ng, last evening, chaired a dinner involving more than a dozen Canadian business people to talk specifically about the WTO and their views on the current challenges that are facing the organization. Some of the key themes that emerged from that discussion include the critical importance of the WTO for Canadian business.

International Trade committee  The answer to that question depends on who the other party in question is. If the other party is a WTO member with whom we have some sort of interim arrangement in place, Canada would have the ability to appeal—if we felt that it was in our interests—under an interim arrangement.

International Trade committee  I can start by giving a little context on the U.S. position on the appellate body. The U.S. concerns—as have been cited by the member—are not new. For a number of years now, we have been hearing concerns about the way in which the appellate body operates. I think that certainly any WTO member who has been involved in disputes at the WTO probably has some issues with some of the specific results of cases over the years.

International Trade committee  We feel that U.S. engagement is absolutely essential, and we have looked for every opportunity to engage the United States. It's not just on appellate body reform but on WTO reform issues more generally. Certainly when the United States is ready to engage, we will be ready at the table.

International Trade committee  I think Colin has figured it out. We certainly have a case on wine right now with Australia. We also have a case on aircraft with Brazil. Then we have several cases with the United States, including softwood lumber. I would have to check on the total number of cases right now.

International Trade committee  Good afternoon, Madam Chair. I'm pleased to be here today to provide an update on the government's engagement in the reform of the World Trade Organization, the WTO, including Canada's leadership of the Ottawa Group. I am joined by several colleagues from Global Affairs Canada, namely Colin Bird, director of the Trade Policy and Negotiations Division, Darren Smith, director of the Services Trade Division, John Layton, executive director of the Trade Remedies Division, and Don McDougall, deputy director of the Investment Trade Policy Division.

International Trade committee  That's total.