International Trade committee  Well, again, as we've tried to explain, trying to predict that is very difficult, given the $105 billion we're talking about and then parsing that down to how much money we're actually talking about in terms of contracts. You're talking about contracts that would have a Canadian

International Trade committee  I'll let my colleagues continue, but I would simply say that the whole point of the WTO is to keep trade as open and free as possible. They have their own procurement agreement, obviously, and believe strongly in that. I guess the one thing we have to note, though, is that the U.

International Trade committee  We did. Let me just say that we do not receive previews of legislation put forward by the United States. Indeed there was some surprise, both at the U.S. embassy here and within the offices of a number of our contacts, because that legislation is not previewed to bureaucrats in

International Trade committee  Well, I can tell you, Mr. Vice-Chair, that what we have done is spent a considerable amount of money through our consulates and our embassy in the United States to identify markets in the U.S. where our companies will be able to procure. We have been working with Canadian busines

International Trade committee  Well, it's very difficult to predict. You know the process. A bill was introduced into the Senate. Before anything can happen a bill has to be introduced into the House. The Republicans control the House. They could amend the current legislation, or they could kill the current le

International Trade committee  Let me just say that in respect of the negotiations that are ongoing now in respect of the new agreement, which was a question, there have been two very substantive meetings. A third meeting is planned. Both sides are very serious about this. I think we are indeed making some p

International Trade committee  Not that I'm aware of, Mr. Vice-Chair.

International Trade committee  Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Bonjour, and thank you for this opportunity to speak to you. I am Jon Allen, the assistant deputy minister for the Americas at the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, responsible for North and South America. With me today from the d