MANUFACTURERS CONGRATULATE US CONGRESS ON PASSAGE OF CUSMA

CALL FOR QUICK CANADIAN RATIFICATION

OTTAWA, (January 17, 2020) — Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters (CME) congratulates the United States Senate for voting in favour of the Canada-United States-Mexico-Agreement (CUSMA) and, looks forward to the President signing the agreement into law. Manufacturers call on the Canadian parliament to begin our ratification process as soon as the House of Commons resumes sitting.

Dennis Darby, President & CEO of Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters stated, “Canada is the only CUSMA partner that hasn’t ratified the agreement. Moving forward with this agreement will renew and enhance our most important trading relationship with the United States and Mexico.”

“The manufacturing sector is the cornerstone of the North American economic relationship and the reason this trade agreement is so critical. CME worked closely with the government throughout the negotiation process to ensure the integrated manufacturing sector would remain unharmed and strengthened where possible. We believe CUSMA has accomplished this objective,” noted Darby.

“However, if we want Canada to take full advantage of this agreement, industry and government must work together to ensure Canadian manufacturers’ productivity levels and investment are competitive with other OECD countries’ so they can succeed on in North American markets and, globally,” added Darby.

Manufacturing directly accounts for roughly 11 percent of Canada’s GDP and over 1.7 million Canadians are employed in the sector. Nearly two-thirds of Canada’s exports are manufactured goods and more than 80 percent of these exports go to our CUSMA partners. Much of this trade is due to the deep integration of manufacturing operations across the North America. This integration has created a unique relationship for our countries; we do not simply trade goods with each other, we build things together, we innovate together, and we compete together against the rest of the world.

 

ABOUT CME

Since 1871, Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters has been helping manufacturers grow at home and, compete around the world. Our focus is to ensure manufacturers are recognized as engines for growth in the economy, with Canada acknowledged as both a global leader and innovator in advanced manufacturing and a global leader in exporting. CME is a member-driven association that directly represents more than 2,500 leading companies who account for an estimated 82 per cent of manufacturing output and 90 per cent of Canada’s exports.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

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