Supplied by Sault Ste. Marie MP Terry Sheehan…
Terry Sheehan, Member of Parliament for Sault Ste. Marie, has been re-appointed as a
member of the Standing Committee on International Trade.
Yesterday, Bill C-4 was tabled by the Honourable Chrystia Freeland (Deputy Prime
Minister & Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs) in the House of Commons. Bill C-4
implements the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA). Following debate
in the House of Commons, the bill will be sent to to the International Trade committee
where members will undertake a study, as part of the process in the move towards
implementation of CUSMA.
“I’m really pleased to once again work closely with colleagues on the International
Trade file. Trade is critical to the growth of the economy of Sault Ste. Marie and for the
rest of the country.”
-Terry Sheehan, MP, Sault Ste. Marie
On November 30, 2018, Canada, the United States, and Mexico signed an agreement to
replace the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) with the Canada-United
States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA). This new agreement will reinforce the strong
economic ties between the three countries and support well-paying middle-class jobs
for Canadians.
CUSMA will maintain the tariff-free market access from NAFTA and includes updates
and new chapters to address modern-day trade challenges and opportunities. Since
negotiations began in August 2017, Canada engaged constructively and pragmatically
with our NAFTA partners to achieve a good deal for Canadians.
The agreement provides key outcomes for Canadian businesses, workers and
communities in areas such as labour, environment, automotive trade, dispute resolution,
culture, energy, and agriculture and agri-food. Importantly, CUSMA also includes
language on gender and Indigenous peoples’ rights.
• During the previous Parliamentary session, the work of the Trade committee was
instrumental in the successful removal of the illegal Section 232 tariffs imposed
on Canadian steel and aluminum products, by the United States government.
• The committee worked on implementing several key international trade deals
such as:
The Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade
Agreement (CETA), a landmark trade agreement ratified under the Liberal
government,
The Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific
Partnership (CPTPP). The 11 CPTPP members represent nearly half a
billion people and a combined GDP of $13.5 trillion. In 2017, merchandise
trade between Canada and the 10 other members amounted to $95
billion.
The Canada-Israel Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act.