CME CALLS FOR MANUFACTURING STRATEGY AS MINISTER FREELAND MEETS WITH GERMAN COUNTERPART

OTTAWA (August 13, 2019)

Canadian manufacturers congratulate Minister Freeland for meeting with her German counterpart. “Germany is setting the bar in terms of productivity and technology adoption in the manufacturing sector,” said Dennis Darby, President and CEO of Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters. “Unfortunately, Canada is falling behind on both those measures. Over the last 15 years, labour productivity in Canadian manufacturing has increased by about 20 per cent, compared to nearly 50 per cent in the US and more than 100 per cent in locations like South Korea, Taiwan and Eastern Europe. At the same time, Canada’s global export market share has shrunk from four per cent to two per cent, and we are at the bottom of the G7 in export growth.”

“Germany’s success is rooted in a conscious effort to bet on advanced manufacturing as a mechanism for growth and prosperity,” added Darby. “We encourage the ministers to discuss the benefits of implementing a deliberate manufacturing strategy to aggressively attract investment, create high-paying jobs, and grow their value-added manufacturing base.”

In 2016, CME released Industrie 2030, a manufacturing strategy aimed at creating the right conditions for Canada to double its manufacturing output. Its recommendations are focused on addressing the critical needs of the manufacturing sector:

  • Creating a competitive business environment through tax and regulatory reform, reducing business costs and encouraging growth and production;
  • Addressing current skill shortages, improving technical skills training of youth and increasing support for industry-led training and skills-development initiatives; and,
  • Introducing policies and support programs to assist companies with scale-up, technology adoption, and product commercialization.

ABOUT CANADIAN MANUFACTURERS & EXPORTERS

Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters (CME) advocates for and represents 2,500 leading manufacturers that operate across Canada. Manufacturing moves Canada and is the engine of the economy. Canadian manufacturers collectively employ 1.7 million Canadians and is responsible for two-thirds of Canada’s export sales. The sector is growing rapidly. In 2018, the sector reached a new all-time high of $685 billion in sales. CME advocates policies that will allow Canadian manufacturers to compete effectively in the global economy.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Stefi Proulx
Director of Communications
Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters
C: 613-292-6070 | stefi.proulx@cme-mec.ca | @CME_MEC