Sustaining this remarkable rate of growth and job creation means that Canada's next government must act to strengthen the multilateral rules-based trade regime with effective dispute resolution mechanisms. It must ensure open access for Canadian aerospace firms to world markets. The forces of globalization and technological change are creating huge new export opportunities for Canada. Our dispute with Brazil over prohibited export subsidies is evidence of the need for global trade rules. Canada won the day in this dispute, but weaknesses in the World Trade Organization's dispute settlement process have to date resulted in a hollow, unenforceable victory.
Canadian firms competing in the global marketplace deserve better.
The government must be a strong advocate of free and fair trade, and must aggressively pursue more effective trade dispute resolution mechanisms. Key to our success in the global market is unfettered access to opportunities in the United States, the single largest market for aerospace goods and services. While Canada enjoys an unparalleled trade relationship with the U.S., 'Buy American' protectionist provisions under the guise of 'national security' or 'safety' often unfairly block Canadian access to business opportunities in that market. Managing our complex relationship with the U.S. must be a top priority for Canada. This means achieving better alignment between our foreign and defence policies, and our trade interests south of the border.