The commercial relationship between Japan and Canada is underpinned by our countries’ shared values and desire for businesses to operate within a predictable rules-based international trade environment. To inform our governments’ dialogue through the Joint Economic Committee, our two organizations hosted a virtual meeting of the Japan-Canada Chambers Council (JCCC) to discuss ways to enhance trade and investment activity.
The recent notice of a limited strike by the longshoremen’s union, including no work at all on weekends, is devastating not only to Canada’s economic competitiveness, but also to its recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We cannot take for granted that the U.S. is our largest trade partner. Canada needs to be on the front foot advancing our own interests since few Americans wake up in the morning in Washington thinking about how to do Canadian businesses a favour. We look forward to working with our members, the Government of Canada, and our American business counterparts to ensure Canadian businesses are positioned to succeed in the new US political environment,” said Mark Agnew, Vice President Policy & International.
Although two months of solid job gains are encouraging, it’s still likely to be a long, bumpy journey to the end of the pandemic tunnel for Canadian business-owners and their employees as the third wave of COVID-19 breaks across the country, threatening to disrupt the positive trends we’ve seen in today’s numbers.
