Canada Builds Closer Trade and Investment Ties
with Asia-Pacific Partners
Minister Van
Loan highlights free and open trade opportunities with Japan
(No. 183 -
June 7, 2010 - 11:45 a.m. ET) The Honourable Peter Van Loan, Minister of
International Trade, today reaffirmed Canada’s commitment to strengthen
trade and economic cooperation with the Asia-Pacific region before
wrapping up his trade visit to Japan.
While in
Japan, Minister Van Loan attended the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)
Meeting of Ministers Responsible for Trade in Sapporo, where he held a
number of bilateral meetings with counterparts from APEC member economies.
“The
Asia-Pacific region is a priority for Canada,” said Minister Van Loan.
“We are committed to APEC and will continue to work with our partners to
promote economic growth, cooperation, trade and investment across the
region.”
Minister Van
Loan stressed Canada’s support for economic integration in the
Asia-Pacific region, including working toward a free trade area of the
Asia-Pacific as a long-term objective. Minister Van Loan told his APEC
counterparts that Canada, as host of the upcoming G-20 summit, will focus
on restoring the health of the global economy and laying the foundation
for future sustainable and balanced growth.
“Free
trade and investment are vital to recovery from the global economic
downturn,” said the Minister. “When Canada hosts the G-8 and G-20
summits later this month, we will be telling the world that partnerships,
not protectionism, hold the key to global economic recovery.”
On the
margins of the APEC meeting, Minister Van Loan continued to engage with
Trans-Pacific Partnership members to assess how Canada might add value to
the negotiations.
Minister Van
Loan also met with Japan’s Minister for Foreign Affairs; Minister of
Economy, Trade and Industry; and Vice-Minister of Education, Culture,
Sports, Science and Technology; as well as a number of business leaders.
He noted Canada’s commitment to strengthening its science and technology
relationship with one of the world's most innovative and science-rich
economies, and conveyed Canada’s commitment to progress on a range of
Canada-Japan commercial issues, including the possibility of negotiating
an economic partnership agreement with Japan.
“A
Canada-Japan economic partnership agreement would help address today’s
economic challenges by creating jobs and opening more doors for business
on both sides of the Pacific,” said the Minister. “Our government is
committed to promoting free trade, fighting protectionism and creating
opportunities for Canadian businesses and Canadian workers in global
markets.”
Minister Van
Loan also visited one of the first of a series of 7-Eleven stores being
built in Japan using Canadian wood-frame methods and wood products. He
also delivered an address at the Friends of Canada Symposium, which
brought together economic and social organizations with links to Canada.
|