– The Canadian Chamber of Commerce helps shape public policy and decision-making to the benefit of businesses, communities and families across Canada with a network of over 450 chambers of commerce and boards of trade, representing 200,000 businesses.
CANADA – The Canadian Chamber of Commerce congratulates President-elect Donald J. Trump on his historic win, and welcomes the opportunity to work with him and his administration on enhancing trade between the two countries.
“The United States of America remains Canada’s most important economic partner, but our shared interests go much deeper than that. It will be important for our government to build a solid relationship with the new administration and to demonstrate the benefits both our countries receive from our common ties,” said the Hon. Perrin Beatty, President and CEO of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce.
“We look forward, in partnership with the Canadian government, to working with the new administration and our American counterparts on a number of crucial initiatives.”
At the top of the Canadian Chamber’s agenda is the issue of border management. “This issue has come up repeatedly in the electoral campaign, and it is vital for bilateral trade that the border between our countries remain open and allow for the swift passage of goods,” he says. “Nearly three-quarters of Canadian exports go to or through the US, and such an open border is critical for our economic health”.
“Measures that improve Canada-U.S. trade should be our priority with this new administration, but there is a long list of topics we will need to address, from softwood lumber to NAFTA to pipelines. Most important is to open a dialogue that will benefit both countries. It’s critical for our government to get some issues on the agenda early, to ensure Canada doesn’t get lost in the global chatter.”