Government Operations committee  Sure. I'll make it quick. I think there are opportunities there that could increase trade and our competitiveness. There are some challenges with the current structure of the sufferance warehouses. I think it's a worthwhile effort to look at those current regulations that are associated with sufferance warehouses and see how we can bring them up to date to meet the customers' needs as of today.

Government Operations committee  Sure. I appreciate that. We appreciated the visit by your group. I think it was a good exercise in showing them the benefits of doing trade in Windsor with our proximity to Detroit and the heartland of America from a manufacturing perspective. The feedback that we're getting from customers is that they love to bring cargo into Windsor, but the administrative support that's required to move that cargo piece by piece back into the U.S. and the amount of paperwork that's required is prohibitive.

Government Operations committee  I think it would be a great pilot project for Windsor, leveraging the new Gordie Howe international bridge with all of the different capacities that are going to be increased at the bridge through the CBSA. We would be a willing partner in any of those exercises to see how we could increase trade across the border.

Government Operations committee  I think it's very, very important. I would ask the committee to also look at other partners that bring trade into the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence Seaway. Those are different organizations, such as Hwy H2O and the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation. They would be more than willing partners to look at any type of pilot program that would increase trade through the Great Lakes.

Government Operations committee  Sure. Thank you. We're familiar with the trusted carrier program through our work with the automakers and different OEMs. They have a program through which the carriers are verified as digital carriers. They have all the verifications done on the front end so that they don't have to stop at customs or various points along the border for verification of their loads.

Government Operations committee  It would have significant impacts. One part of our business is the movement of finished vehicles from Windsor into the U.S. and other markets, as well as the import of vehicles from the U.S. into Canada for further shipment within Canada. We do all those movements by rail. Any strike or interruption at the border would pose significant threats to that business.

Government Operations committee  It does have an impact on our railway. I don't know if it's a significant impact or not. I could provide a response to that question, because right now I'm not prepared to answer. I don't have the information in front of me.

Government Operations committee  It goes back to what you were saying about competitiveness. In order to stay competitive in a changing world, with a lot of the reshoring efforts that are happening in moving product back to North America, we need to look at new, innovative ways to become more compatible with our biggest trading partner, which is the U.S., and also with Mexico.

Government Operations committee  A sufferance warehouse allows shippers to move product into Canada under one bond. That allows you to store product in a warehouse. You can trade the commodities without the movement of those goods, and they remain in that warehouse. It allows for faster, quicker, more efficient trade of commodities.

Government Operations committee  From our perspective, I think it encourages trade. Positioned at the busiest international crossing in North America, I think it makes a lot of sense to have a free trade zone in our area, with the investments that the federal government has made in Windsor totalling almost $36 million for warehousing and a new shorewall for the movement of goods from Europe into the North American continent.

Government Operations committee  Thank you, Mr. Kusmierczyk. It's vitally important. As you know, infrastructure is key to the movement of goods. It's key to economic development and competitiveness in our space. Many of our assets at Morterm Limited were beyond 60 years old. Their useful life was at the very end.

Government Operations committee  I haven't had a chance to review it. I was aware that there is a report, but I have not had a chance to review it in detail.

Government Operations committee  Good morning. I want to thank everyone for allowing me the opportunity to speak. What I'm here to speak about today are some of the challenges we're encountering at our deepwater port in Port Windsor. Morterm Limited is located in Windsor. It's located a stone's throw from North America's busiest international border with the U.S.