Readout
This morning, the Honourable Mary Ng, Minister of Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade, spoke with Valdis Dombrovskis, European Commission Executive Vice-President and Commissioner for Trade, regarding the importance of the continued flow of vaccines and medical supplies.
Minister Ng raised the European Commission's recent announcement of a proposed export transparency mechanism on the deliveries of vaccines outside the European Union (EU) and pressed the importance of ensuring that critical health and medical supply chains remain open and resilient. Executive Vice-President Dombrovskis reiterated assurances provided to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau by the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, that the proposed EU measures will not affect vaccine shipments to Canada.
Minister Ng and Executive Vice-President Dombrovskis reaffirmed their commitment to working together to secure global supply chains for vaccines and discussed their support for the COVAX Facility, the global mechanism for pooled procurement, and equitable distribution of vaccines.
Following up on their previous conversation, Minister Ng and Executive Vice-President Dombrovskis acknowledged their ongoing, collaborative work on WTO reform, including active participation in the Ottawa Group, to promote rules-based trade as a key driver of global economic recovery for businesses and people around the world.
They also agreed to continue to work together to advance the Ottawa Group's proposal for a trade and health initiative at the WTO to keep markets open, facilitate the distribution of vaccines, and prepare for future global health crises.
