Proceedings of the Standing Senate Committee on
Foreign Affairs and International Trade
Issue 12 - Ninth and Tenth Reports of the Committee
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
The Standing Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade has the honour to table its
NINTH REPORT
Your committee, which was authorized by the Senate on Tuesday, February 24, 2009, to review and report on the 2008 Legislative Review of Export Development Canada, tabled in the Senate on Tuesday, February 10, 2009, now tables its report entitled Study on the 2008 Legislative Review of Export Development Canada.
Respectfully submitted,
CONSIGLIO DI NINO
Chair
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
The Standing Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade has the honour to present its
TENTH REPORT
Your committee, to which was referred Bill C-24, An Act to implement the Free Trade Agreement between Canada and the Republic of Peru, the Agreement on the Environment between Canada and the Republic of Peru and the Agreement on Labour Cooperation between Canada and the Republic of Peru, has, in obedience to the order of reference of Tuesday, June 9, 2009 examined the said Bill and now reports the same without amendment but with observations, which are appended to this report.
Respectfully submitted,
CONSIGLIO DI NINO
Chair
Observations to the Tenth Report of the Standing Senate
Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade
(Bill C-24)
In reviewing Bill C-24, the Standing Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade is concerned that the bill, and the agreement that it enacts, puts Canadians in a number of sectors at a competitive disadvantage with other countries, specifically the United States of America.
The committee recommends that the Minister of International Trade undertake a review of the Canada-Peru Free Trade Agreement, The Agreement on the Environment and The Agreement on Labour Cooperation five years following its implementation to evaluate the trade implications for Canadian exporters, and, if necessary, put forward a plan for undertaking further bilateral negotiations with the Republic of Peru to enhance the agreement.
At a minimum, in all future free trade agreements, Canada should seek to obtain a provision as that found in Appendix I, section 2(d)(ii) of the Tariff Schedule for Peru in the United States-Peru Trade Promotion Agreement. That section allows the United States to automatically obtain any beneficial agricultural-related provision negotiated by Peru and other countries in the future. The Canada-Peru agreement does not include such a clause; therefore Canada will fail to benefit from future trade measures adopted by Peru that will otherwise benefit other countries.
Given the importance of trade for the prosperity of Canadians, it is also recommended that the Government of Canada ensure that our best negotiators, either inside or outside of the federal government, represent Canada in trade proceedings to obtain stronger and more effective trade agreements.
It is the view of this committee that trade priorities should be excluded from Canada's decisions regarding disbursing foreign aid.