SPEECHES
April 19, 2005
OTTAWA, Ontario
2005/16
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NOTES FOR AN ADDRESS BY
THE HONOURABLE JIM PETERSON,
MINISTER OF INTERNATIONAL TRADE
CANADA’S INTERNATIONAL POLICY STATEMENT
MEDIA AVAILABILITY
Technology continues to shrink our planet. People, products, ideas and capital move
across borders in ways that were not possible just a decade ago. Business models are
continuously redefined.
Companies are dispersing elements of their business across many countries to remain
cost-competitive. Some are doing it just to stay in business, and to keep jobs in
Canada.
More importantly, strong new contenders are vying for available trade and investment
dollars. We have to compete forcefully to be the location of choice.
There are untold opportunities before us, but there are also potential risks for those who
fail to adapt. As a government, it is our responsibility to ensure that we remain
competitive both at home and in the world. And that’s why today’s roadmap is so
important.
Clearly we cannot be everywhere and do everything and that is why Canada’s
International Policy Statement is about choice.
We focus on three priorities where maximum impact can be achieved:
• Getting the domestic business climate right. To be competitive globally we
have to be competitive at home, through effective and sound regulation, sound
fiscal policy and infrastructure investments.
• Getting our international economic relationships right. Our priority countries
for international commerce are the U.S., emerging markets like China, India,
Brazil and Russia and mature ones like the European Union, South Korea and
Japan.
• Looking at how we can help Canadian business succeed in global markets.
The Statement articulates the activities that are driving and will continue to drive our
actions, but with one additional critical ingredient: they will be intensified and
accelerated.
Canada approaches the challenges and opportunities of global commerce from a
position of great strength, including:
• our resources and land border with the U.S.;
• our air and sea links to the rest of the world;
• our multilingual and multicultural society; and
• our world-class economy and strong history as a trading nation.
I look forward to promoting Canada’s agenda for global commerce. I look forward to
working with Canadians, the business community and Parliamentarians to seeing this
through.
Thank you.
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