No definitive win for Canada out of three amigos, look for new outcomes in coming months as measure of success: Canadian Chamber of Commerce

(OTTAWA) – November 18, 2021 – The Canadian Chamber of Commerce’s President and CEO, Perrin Beatty, issued the following statement following today’s conclusion of the North American Leaders’ Summit.

“We welcome the fact that this trilateral leaders summit, which is the first such meeting in five years, has taken place. Our countries face many challenges that we can deal with much more effectively by working together.

Unfortunately, despite the positive alignment by the three leaders on critical issues like the fight against COVID-19, climate change and supply chain resilience, many of the issues of greatest concern to Canadian businesses — Buy American protectionism, proposed U.S. subsidies of electric vehicles, the Line 5 pipeline, strengthening the North American industrial base and the need for a joint strategy to ensure North American energy security — remain unresolved.

We welcome the statement by the President and the Prime Minister that they will “work to develop a renewed vision for joint management of the border.” Such an initiative would stand in stark contrast with how our joint border has been managed over the last twenty months.

While Canadians hope that the change in administrations in Washington will help revive the historic special relationship between our two countries, that relationship remains largely transactional, with domestic U.S. politics driving key decisions that are critical for Canada.

The challenge for Canada is to demonstrate that it is in the interests of the United States to have a strategic partnership with us on key issues. A genuine partnership requires at least two willing partners. To achieve this goal, Canada must strongly make its case on the issues of concern to us while we also come to the table with solutions to help with the issues of greatest concern to the United States.”

About the Canadian Chamber of Commerce – Because Business Matters

The Canadian Chamber of Commerce helps build the businesses that support our families, our communities and our country. We do this by influencing government policy, by providing essential business services and by connecting businesses to information they can use, to opportunities for growth and to a network of local chambers, businesses, decision-makers and peers from across the country, in every sector of the economy and at all levels of government, as well as internationally. We are unapologetic in our support for business and the vital role it plays in building and sustaining our great nation.

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For more information, please contact:
Phil Taylor
ptaylor@chamber.ca