International Trade committee  I will follow up on that. One of the things we haven't talked about yet is how we can address challenges posed by non-tariff barriers. For every Canadian export there is an importer. There are importing interests in all of these countries, whether they're distributors, retailers, consumers who benefit or businesses that need our products and services as inputs.

International Trade committee  Thanks for the question. Obviously, it's a difficult market. That's why what we're talking about is an early progress trade agreement. I think it's significant, by the way, that this is kind of a new approach for Canadian trade negotiators to accept less than a full deal, to take less than a full loaf, when it comes to a trade agreement, where we aim for very high standards.

International Trade committee  That's a good question, and I think there are others on the panel representing, for instance, the beef industry or the pulses industry, who would have views on that. I think these are very promising markets for Canadian agricultural exports, and there is more work to be done in reducing NTBs in the area of agricultural exports.

International Trade committee  Thanks. In short, I would say it's of political significance in the signal it sends to the 10 member countries of ASEAN, as well as the secretariat of ASEAN, about the importance of the relationship with Canada. I think it is giving momentum and energy to the trade agreement negotiations with ASEAN.

International Trade committee  Good morning, everyone. Greetings from the head office of the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada in Vancouver, on the traditional ancestral and unceded territories of the Squamish, Musqueam and Tsleil-Waututh peoples. The Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada was created through an act of Parliament in 1984, with a mandate to promote Canada's engagement in the region.

International Trade committee  Well, we could take much more than six minutes on that. As you've identified, it is Asia. First of all, regions of Asia and countries like the Philippines, Bangladesh and the islands of the South Pacific are the places in the world with the largest populations at risk from the impacts of climate change.

International Trade committee  The Asia Pacific Foundation, in this case, was in partnership with the Canada-India Business Council for the mission to India, but we've had other missions. The Asia Pacific Foundation, with financial support from Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada for support for women's entrepreneurship in Asia, has been running these businesswomen's missions to different parts of Asia, including Japan in recent years, South Korea, and last year a virtual mission to Australia and New Zealand, and in March a virtual mission to India.

International Trade committee  I appreciate very much the question. I would say a couple of things. I would say there has been a push in the last couple of years to expand relationships with the middle powers and emerging economies of Southeast Asia, and that's a very positive thing. Professor Ong made reference to the importance geopolitically for Canada to be developing these relationships with partners in Southeast Asia, like Singapore and Vietnam, Indonesia and Malaysia, as part of establishing Canada as more of a player on the geopolitical scene in Asia.

International Trade committee  Thank you for the opportunity to contribute to this important discussion. Established in 1985 by the Asia-Pacific Foundation of Canada Act, the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada's mandate promotes Canada's involvement in the region. Today, as we urgently seek to diversify our export markets and our sources of supply for imports in a new era of geopolitical uncertainty, that mandate to promote engagement in Asia is surely more relevant than ever.