Readout
Today, the Honourable Mary Ng, Minister of Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade, spoke with the United Kingdom's Secretary of State for International Trade, Liz Truss.
Minister Ng and Secretary Truss welcomed Canada's Royal Assent of the Canada-U.K. Trade Continuity Agreement as a positive step in the historic relationship between the two countries that will benefit workers and businesses on both sides of the Atlantic. Both ministers reiterated that they are working to ratify the agreement and are taking all necessary steps to implement it for April 1, 2021.
Minister Ng welcomed the U.K.'s interest in joining the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and updated Secretary Truss on the public consultations Canada launched on March 12, 2021 to seek Canadians' input on Canada's priorities for future negotiations on a free trade agreement with the U.K., as well as the U.K.'s joining the CPTPP.
Both ministers affirmed their commitment to work together at the G7 trade and investment ministerial on March 31, 2021 on shared trade priorities, with a focus on WTO reform, health, inclusive trade, climate policy and women's economic empowerment.
With regard to the WTO, Minister Ng and Secretary Truss discussed their shared goals on WTO reform and the importance of rules-based multilateralism in trade, particularly in supporting the economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The ministers exchanged views about their continued efforts to advance the WTO trade and health initiative to strengthen global supply chains and facilitate the equitable flow of essential medicines and medical supplies.
