Ottawa, October 29, 2018 – The Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade studied and adopted Bill C-79, the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership Implementation Act.

Given the economic importance to Canada of diversifying its international trading relationships, the committee moved quickly to complete a highly focused study of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). Senators heard from a broad range of witnesses and received numerous briefs and analyses.  

On October 25, the committee presented a report to the Senate with a number of observations. The committee believes, for example, that the federal government should work closely with industries and businesses that are likely to be negatively affected by the CPTPP and implement measures to mitigate its impact. The committee also reiterated that the success of a trade agreement lies in the implementation plan by the Government of Canada.

Quick Facts

• The CPTPP was completed in Santiago, Chile on March 8, 2018 between Canada, Australia, Brunei, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam.

• Over 495 million people live in the Asia-Pacific region, which represents 13.5% of global GDP.

• The committee completed a lengthy, in-depth study of free trade agreements in 2017 that informed the senators’ study of Bill C-79. The report, Free Trade Agreements: A Tool for Economic Prosperity, examined ways in which Canadian businesses can maximize opportunities resulting from free trade agreements.

Quotes

“By implementing the CPTPP, Canada is staking out a place for itself among powerful nations representing a significant portion of the world’s economy. Ratifying and implementing this treaty creates opportunities for Canadians to reach and grow in this important market. This deal is good for Canada.”

- Senator Raynell Andreychuk, Chair of the committee.

“We are proud of the work of the committee in studying the effects of ratifying the CPTPP and we urge the government to work closely with the sectors most likely to be affected by its implementation, from agri-food to automobile industries, from pharmaceuticals to labour. If we get this right, the deal will help to ensure prosperity for generations of Canadians.”

- Senator Paul J. Massicotte, Deputy Chair of the committee.

“We are grateful to the many witnesses from industry and business who came forward to provide critical testimony on the potential impacts of the partnership. We urge the federal government to take their observations into account when drafting the implementation plan to ratify the CPTPP.”

-Senator Dennis Dawson, member of the steering committee. 

Associated Links

• Read the committee’s report on Bill C-79.
• Follow the committee on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram using the hashtag #AEFA.
• Sign up for the Senate’s eNewsletter.

For more information, please contact:

Sonia Noreau
Public Relations Officer
Communications Directorate
Senate of Canada
613-614-1180 | sonia.noreau@sen.parl.gc.ca