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- LENS 1: International Commerce Strategy
LENS 1: International Commerce Strategy
Gateway and corridor strategies must help align Canada’s major transportation systems with our most important opportunities and challenges in global commerce.
Canada has a range of opportunities to connect North America with the world, by exploiting advantages in geography, transportation and commerce. For example, gateway and corridor strategies can leverage significant Canada-U.S. trade flows as part of national strategies to position Canada to benefit from the emergence of new economic powers such as China and India.
With competition intensifying among supply chains, the transportation systems that form Canada’s gateways and trade corridors must continuously demonstrate their ability to efficiently support major international trade flows and passenger movements to compete in the global marketplace.
The Canada – U.S. Relationship
The integrated North American economy provides the "platform" for Canada’s successful global engagement. Canada and the U.S. share the largest bilateral flow of goods, services, people and capital of any two countries in the world.
Recognizing the importance of these connections, the Government of Canada is working to further enhance stronger bilateral relations with the U.S. This includes expanding Canada’s official network in the U.S. With the opening in July 2006 of the new Canadian Consulate General in San Francisco, Canada’s network in the U.S. now includes 13 consulates general and six consulates, in addition to the Embassy in Washington.
With over $1.95 billion worth of goods and services moving across the border daily, Canada and the U.S. are each other’s largest customers and biggest suppliers. To put this into perspective, in 2007, Canada exchanged more goods with the U.S. each month than with any other country throughout the whole year.
Transportation systems are key to Canada’s successful relationship with the U.S. Maximizing the free flow of goods, services and capital with the U.S. is a key priority for Canada. The National Policy Framework for Strategic Gateways and Trade Corridors and future gateway strategies provide new avenues to advance competitiveness in the North American context.
Marketing Canada’s Gateway Advantage Abroad
The gateway and corridor approach builds important connections between Canada’s trade and transportation policy directions. Gateway strategies can help advance Canada’s relationship with key trading partners. The Asia-Pacific Gateway and Corridor Initiative includes a $7 million program for targeted marketing in Asia and the United States.
In January 2007, David Emerson, Minister of International Trade and Minister for the Pacific Gateway, led a delegation of Canadian transportation and logistics senior executives on a mission to Hong Kong, Beijing, and Shanghai. During this trip, Minister Emerson and the Chinese Minister of Communications signed an updated agreement to foster cooperation on intermodal transportation gateways to support international trade.
The APGCI International Marketing Program is taking advantage of skilled personnel in key foreign posts of Canada’s Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade. In early 2007, Canadian Trade Commissioners posted in Asia and the U.S. participated in detailed briefing sessions in Western Canada, giving them first-hand insights on the Gateway and Corridor that will make them even more effective on the ground overseas.
Two more APGCI missions to China took place in 2008, with delegations of Canadian executives emphasizing air services, and "backhaul" opportunities for export of a range of Canadian products through the Asia-Pacific Gateway and Corridor.
Another landmark mission saw a private sector delegation travel to India in 2008 to promote the advantages of Canada’s Atlantic Gateway. The mission was led by Minister of National Defense, Peter MacKay.