Foreign Affairs committee  There's a lot of work going on at the officials' level. We work very closely, and when I say “we”, I mean the whole of government approach, Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Transport, CBSA, Public Safety, with counterparts in the United States to ensure that flows across the border are as efficient as possible.

Foreign Affairs committee  We each have our own regulations....

Foreign Affairs committee  I'm looking at my colleague who has more expertise in these sorts of matters, but nothing stands out in particular.

Foreign Affairs committee  I think the answer is we each have our own regulatory systems, which are sometimes coordinated and sometimes not.

Foreign Affairs committee  Our concern would be about reopening the NAFTA and the possible unravelling of the NAFTA. In the press conference I think it was the President who indicated that officials could look at these issues, and we would wait to hear from the United States about what they have in mind.

Foreign Affairs committee  Again, a number of the points you raise really fall within the jurisdiction of the Department of Transport. There is a lot of work going on in terms of developing both an Atlantic and a Pacific gateway, for exactly the reasons you've mentioned, in order to provide opportunities for the movement of goods through the ports of Vancouver and the Pacific and then on the east coast through Halifax, in order to speed the movement of goods through the Atlantic and Pacific gateways.

Foreign Affairs committee  One thing I should say is that while the percentage is lower than it was a few years ago, the dollar value of the trade is higher, so that's one thing to keep in mind. The other, of course, is that our percentage share goes down as other countries increase their exports to the United States.

Foreign Affairs committee  Within Foreign Affairs and International Trade we would be looking at where the U.S. is spending its money, but we're not responsible for domestic spending.

Foreign Affairs committee  In his press conference, the Prime Minister referred to 1.9%.

Foreign Affairs committee  I have the language here somewhere, but I believe it's an aggregate number.

Foreign Affairs committee  We know the number that's been out there, which is in the order of just under $800 billion, but as a percentage of GDP, I don't know that number.

Foreign Affairs committee  Environment Canada would have the lead on environmental issues, including a potential continental cap and trade. We're following it, of course, because a number of United States states have already come together to look at a potential cap and trade, along with a number of Canadian provinces.

Foreign Affairs committee  We're not the lead on cap and trade. We're not the lead on environmental issues.

Foreign Affairs committee  But we would work very closely with Environment Canada and on the clean energy technology dialogue with NRCan.

Foreign Affairs committee  Any time there is a discussion with the United States that might lead to an eventual agreement between the two countries, the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade would be very involved.