International Trade committee  I think it would emulate what actually happens in business. In business, of course, the ultimate goal is to have satisfied customers, and satisfied customers give you money. It's as simple as that. In the importing and exporting realm, when you're actually standing back as a busi

International Trade committee  I'm not suggesting that it's maybe as bad a thing as it might appear to be on the surface. Various studies have been done in the United States to show that imports also create economic activity within the importing country. That's all I'm saying. I'm not here to take a particul

International Trade committee  I would say yes to that. That being said, it depends. We have to take a look at the types of imports that are coming in and what they're being used for, with the qualifier.

International Trade committee  I'm not going to say it's either a good thing or a bad thing. As I said earlier, to the companies that are our members, importing and exporting is a continuous flow. From their perspective, they don't actually think of the deficit in trade. When a company is making a decision, fo

International Trade committee  Yes, they do. They want jobs. What we're saying is that imports of consumer products don't necessarily eliminate jobs because there are distribution warehouses that are required. There is trucking that's required to get those goods. There are jobs that are created. They might not

International Trade committee  Traditionally, when we started 80 years ago, we were the Canadian importers association. In 2000 we changed our name to add the word “exporters”, and that was more than just a marketing ploy. We realize that compared with 1932 when we were founded and when importing was a discret

International Trade committee  What I'm saying is that when Canada starts to negotiate with more underdeveloped economies, the companies within those countries and their traders—I wouldn't say they're unsophisticated; I wouldn't be so unkind or impolite—in Japan, however, they are very good at what they do. Lo

International Trade committee  I don't know the answer to that question. I've been with I.E. Canada for two years, and in the time that I've been with I.E. Canada, we have not consulted on the Japan-Canada discussions. That being said, we've been included in many other negotiations, but not specifically Japan.

International Trade committee  The point I was trying to make overall is that we've heard here about strategy concerning physical infrastructure, whether it be trucking terminals or rail lines or whatever else, but the point I'm bringing to the table is to have a strategy around the policy and regulatory envir

International Trade committee  Speaking on behalf of the Canadian importers and exporters association, I think it would be a negative if the talks did not continue. Southeast Asia is a varied region. There are all types of different countries, all at different stages of development and sophistication in intern

International Trade committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair, and members of the committee, for giving us the opportunity to present today. My name is Joy Nott. I am the president and CEO of I.E.Canada, otherwise known as the Canadian Association of Importers and Exporters. We've been around for about 80 years. Our me

International Trade committee  I spoke earlier about the fact that Canadian importers today are, for the most part, also Canadian exporters. I've been in this business 28 years. There was a point in time when you could clearly distinguish between an importer and an exporter. Those days are gone. Companies are

International Trade committee  I guess my only answer to that would have to go along the lines of comments made earlier by Ms. Hall Findlay, in that I would assume yes, given the fact that the Panamanians have sat down to negotiate this. On behalf of our association, we believe, again, that they're adults. The

International Trade committee  The kinds of services that we're talking about are a little more tangible than maybe actual financial support. I'm not going to comment one way or another on whether the financial support is what's needed. The SMEs that are in that room are looking not so much at the financial su

International Trade committee  I personally sit on the DFAIT SME advisory panel. We meet twice a year as a group of companies. I.E.Canada is a participant observer on that particular panel. In the room are SMEs that discuss exactly that amongst themselves, and on the second day--it's a two-day meeting--the Min