Yesterday, the Honourable Mary Ng, Minister of Export Promotion, International Trade and Economic Development, met with Ambassador Katherine Tai, United States Trade Representative, at the second G7 Trade and Investment Ministers Meeting in Japan.
Minister Ng and Ambassador Tai discussed topics of common interest such as World Trade Organization (WTO) reform and ways to address economic coercion. They also spoke about shared interests for the 13th WTO Ministerial Conference, to be held in February 2024, including addressing growing excess capacity and unfair trade practices to restore market conditions in the steel and aluminum sectors.
Minister Ng raised issues of concern to Canada, including unjustified duties on softwood lumber and implementation of the CUSMA panel findings on automotive rules of origin. She reiterated the importance to Canada of the international dispute settlement processes in resolving these issues.
Minister Ng and Ambassador Tai agreed to continue working together to strengthen the long-standing close trade relationship between Canada and the United States to ensure the resiliency and efficiency of our highly integrated supply chains.
