The Honourable Mary Ng, Minister of International Trade, Export Promotion, Small Business and Economic Development, met yesterday with Suzanne Clark, President and CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
Minister Ng and Ms. Clark discussed areas of mutual interest such as cooperative efforts to advance cross-border trade by small and medium-sized enterprises. Minister Ng noted that U.S. President Joe Biden's recent visit to Canada reaffirmed the steadfast friendship and longstanding mutually beneficial economic relationship between Canada and the United States, which provides well-paying jobs and economic prosperity on both sides of the border.
Minister Ng added that the Biden visit also provided an opportunity to identify areas for enhanced collaboration between Canada and the U.S., including building a clean economy and strengthening supply chains, particularly for critical minerals, semi-conductors, and electric vehicles.
In the meeting with Ms. Clark, Minister Ng discussed Canada's concerns on issues such as Buy America, the U.S. pending implementation of a dispute panel decision on automotive rules of origin under the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA), and ongoing duties on Canadian softwood lumber.
Minister Ng noted that Canada looks forward to hosting the next North American Leaders' Summit in Canada and that she would be interested in engaging with Ms. Clark on organizing a business summit on its margins.
