Economic Relationship between Canada and the United States committee  We've had a long trade screen when we cross the border. After 9/11, we had a security screen. We're now going to add a health screen. We need to look at border crossings. Regionally, there's very good work being done by the Pacific NorthWest Economic Region out there in terms of

Economic Relationship between Canada and the United States committee  Is that better?

Economic Relationship between Canada and the United States committee  Unfortunately, we had to switch.... I spent the last hour trying to get in. I'm on my iPad and the connection for the headset doesn't work.

Economic Relationship between Canada and the United States committee  Yes. I'm just going to see if this will work.

Economic Relationship between Canada and the United States committee  Thank you. My experience with buy America began in Albany in 1981, when my then boss consul general Ken Taylor and I travelled from New York City to Albany to see then governor Hugh Carey to push back on buy New York policies on steel and cement, an experience that over the year

International Trade committee  Okay. I'll just say that NASCO, which is tri-country, has come up with a whole series of excellent recommendations, which I would refer to your committee.

International Trade committee  I think it's vitally important. When we export, [Technical difficulty—Editor] which port it's going to go to. Sometimes from Saskatchewan it goes through the United States and out through Portland and Seattle, whereas American goods sometimes will come up to Canada. Integrating t

International Trade committee  We do have statistics but we need...and you as members of Parliament, when you speak to your constituents, should be able to say, “Look, your jobs....” Again, we hear from Meadow Lake and we know the importance of trade, but people want to know specifically what it means. We can

International Trade committee  I think, grosso modo, it updates the original NAFTA, which was absolutely necessary. There are parts of it that are managed trade—and we talked about autos. There are pieces we would have liked, such as the procurement chapter, for example, but it wasn't going to work. However, g

International Trade committee  I think you're correct. Premiers and governors, because they're the level where the spending usually takes place, particularly when it comes to major infrastructure, want best value, and best value often comes from having a variety of vendors, not just those in your state or prov

International Trade committee  Yes, sir.

International Trade committee  Yes, we have an annual trade conference in Ottawa.

International Trade committee  The conference was held while the negotiations were still taking place. We've had two, and in each case we discussed various aspects of the agreement and what Canada should be seeking. We had participation from the current trade team, including people such as Steve Verheul.

International Trade committee  Yes, sir. Trade negotiations are a give-and-take. Again, as I was saying in response to Mr. Fast, the circumstances were that the United States came in, and as Mr. Ross, the commerce secretary, put it quite succinctly, it was for Canada and Mexico to give and the United States to

International Trade committee  That's true. Chair, my remarks draw from my previous experience as a foreign service officer serving on the team that negotiated the Canada-United States Free Trade Agreement and the NAFTA, on my postings in New York, as consul general in Los Angeles, as first head of the advoc