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Hon. Mary Ng (Minister of International Trade, Export Promotion, Small Business and Economic Development, Lib.)

Dec/14/21 2:37:05 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I think the hon. member will agree, as we all do and as he said, that the forestry sector and its workers are incredibly important. It has been a very, very difficult year for Canadians in that sector, and indeed in all sectors, living through this pandemic. I am very proud of the work we have been doing to support our forestry workers all across the country. We will continue to stand up to the United States on this very important issue around softwood lumber.

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Hon. Mary Ng (Minister of International Trade, Export Promotion, Small Business and Economic Development, Lib.)

Dec/14/21 2:35:55 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Canada's forestry sector is incredibly important to the Canadian economy, and I understand the frustration from my colleague on the opposite side. While I was in the United States, I had an opportunity to meet with the National Association of Home Builders, which agrees with us that the high duties and tariffs on softwood lumber hurt its plan for building more affordable homes for Americans. We are going to keep doing the work here to ensure that we defend Canada's softwood lumber workers and our industry. That work continues.

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Hon. Mary Ng (Minister of International Trade, Export Promotion, Small Business and Economic Development, Lib.)

Dec/14/21 2:34:48 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I share my hon. colleague's concerns; we all do. The forestry workers in his riding and in ridings represented by all parties of the House are of primary concern to us. I want to reassure my hon. colleague that we are looking for an outcome that is acceptable to the industry and to workers. I encourage the member opposite to work with team Canada.

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Hon. Mary Ng (Minister of International Trade, Export Promotion, Small Business and Economic Development, Lib.)

Dec/14/21 2:33:40 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we have been very clear: Canada's forestry sector and its workers are incredibly important to the Canadian economy. We have also been very clear that the tariffs the U.S. has levied against us are unjustified. We have defended our interests. We defended them in CUSMA, before the NAFTA panels and before the WTO. It has been ruled that Canada is a fair trading partner. We are going to continue to stand up for Canadian forestry workers and the industry, which employs so many incredible Canadians across the country.

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Context: House Hansard - 7 - Nov/30/21

Hon. Mary Ng (Minister of International Trade, Export Promotion, Small Business and Economic Development, Lib.)

Nov/30/21 2:46:00 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Canada has taken up this issue through CUSMA, at the NAFTA panel and at the WTO. In 2020, it was ruled that Canada was indeed a fair trading partner. We are going to continue to stand up for the rights of Canada's forestry sector and its workers. I have shared with the U.S. trade representative and U.S. interlocutors that of course we would be open to an agreement that will bring predictability and stability, but we are not going to take any agreement. We are going to negotiate an agreement that is a good agreement for Canada.

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Context: House Hansard - 7 - Nov/30/21

Hon. Mary Ng (Minister of International Trade, Export Promotion, Small Business and Economic Development, Lib.)

Nov/30/21 2:45:02 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Canadian softwood lumber is an absolute priority for our federal government. I am looking forward to tomorrow to take a team Canada to Washington, where we will stand up for Canada. We will continue to advocate for Canadian businesses, for the forestry sector and for the workers they employ. We have done this before and we will continue to stand up for Canadians.

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Context: House Hansard - 7 - Nov/30/21

Hon. Mary Ng (Minister of International Trade, Export Promotion, Small Business and Economic Development, Lib.)

Nov/30/21 2:43:42 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we will always defend the interests of the forestry sector and the workers it employs. In a relationship as large as the one we have with the United States, we will always work together to solve and resolve issues. I will be speaking to my counterpart, the U.S. trade representative, later this afternoon, and I am pleased that tomorrow I will lead a team Canada group, which includes members from all sides of the House, to Washington to continue our government's advocacy and to stand up for Canadian interests.

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Hon. Mary Ng

Nov/29/21 6:49:54 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, softwood lumber is a priority for the government. I continue to work and speak with industry, and they know that we are standing by them. We of course, as I said, are actively challenging the unfair U.S. duties under NAFTA and CUSMA and before the WTO. This is also in close dialogue with industry. We are also raising this issue with U.S. interlocutors, which includes our openness to an agreement that will bring the predictability and stability that our industry needs for its continued success. We will only accept an agreement that is in Canada's best interests. We will continue to work with our partners across the country to defend this important sector.

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Hon. Mary Ng (Minister of International Trade, Export Promotion, Small Business and Economic Development, Lib.)

Nov/29/21 6:44:19 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, let me begin by saying how pleased I am to have the opportunity to stand up again to speak on this very important issue. Before I do, I did not have the opportunity yet in this House to thank the people of Markham—Thornhill for electing me and placing their vote of confidence in me. I continue to be humbled to serve as their member of Parliament. Just like my colleague, the hon. member for Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon, I too take this issue very seriously. Canada's forestry sector is of great importance to our communities, as well as to our economy, and this is why our government has announced $867 million in investment to support affected workers, introduce loan guarantee programs, reduce the risk of job losses, support affected communities, stabilize operations, diversify markets and promote innovation in the sector. Let me state unequivocally that the duties the United States has imposed on Canadian softwood lumber are completely unwarranted and unfair. More than that, they are harmful to all the Canadian workers in communities across the country for which the softwood lumber industry is an economic anchor. The recent doubling of the duties announced by the United States Department of Commerce is extremely disappointing and unjustified. We can be proud of our softwood lumber industry, and the government is vigorously defending its interests. Unfortunately, this is not the first time that the United States has slapped duties on Canadian softwood lumber. We have been through this before, and each time, the independent dispute settlement panels ruled that Canada was a fair trading partner. Canada is actively pursuing legal challenges against U.S. duties under chapter 19 of NAFTA, chapter 10 of CUSMA and before the WTO. Let me remind members that the WTO panel ruling on Canada's challenge of U.S. duties on softwood lumber found overwhelmingly in Canada's favour in August 2020. We are confident that this will continue to be the case. Canadian softwood lumber is a priority for the federal government. While we will continue to defend our industries, interests and litigation until these duties are removed, we are also raising this issue with the United States at every opportunity. The Prime Minister raised it with President Biden earlier this month, Minister Joly raised it with her U.S. counterpart Secretary Blinken and I have raised it on many occasions with Ambassador Tai and Secretary Raimondo. These duties are unjustified and harm both our countries. We will continue our efforts until we reach an agreement that supports the Canadian industry and its workers. The United States relies on high-quality Canadian lumber. Adding these unjustified duties merely harms their own consumers and home builders at a time when housing affordability is already a significant concern for many. I have worked directly with industry. I have convened meetings with industry representatives from across the country and just last week spoke directly with leaders of the sector. I will continue to work hand in hand with our partners to ensure that our approach and any solutions we pursue are informed by the needs of our forestry sector and the workers whose jobs it supports. We remain ready to discuss terms that will be in the best interests of our country. However, I will make one thing clear: We will not accept just any deal. We will continue to work closely with the provinces and territories, industry, indigenous partners and others to determine the best approach and to stand up for our forestry sector.

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Hon. Mary Ng (Minister of International Trade, Export Promotion, Small Business and Economic Development, Lib.)

Nov/29/21 2:54:50 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I know how important this is to the hon. member and to all of us. We absolutely want an outcome that is acceptable to the Canadian industry and to the workers. We are working with the Canadian lumber industry. Its people will be the ones to provide us with the negotiating mandate on this issue. I will continue to work closely with Canada, and together we will continue to take that team Canada approach, because that is what works.

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Hon. Mary Ng (Minister of International Trade, Export Promotion, Small Business and Economic Development, Lib.)

Nov/29/21 2:53:38 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Canada's forestry sector provides hundreds of thousands of jobs for middle-class Canadians in communities across the country. These duties are unjustified, and they will hurt workers and businesses in both our countries. We will keep fighting for Canada's softwood lumber industry and its workers. Canada has always been a fair trading partner. I will continue to raise this issue at every opportunity.

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Hon. Mary Ng (Minister of International Trade, Export Promotion, Small Business and Economic Development, Lib.)

Nov/29/21 2:52:26 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I have had an opportunity to speak to the U.S. trade representative, in fact, on many occasions. Absolutely softwood lumber, the forestry sector and its workers are a priority for this government. We will always stand up for this sector. We are very disappointed at the duties and tariffs that have been levelled on us. We are going to continue to work with the American administration, so we can defend Canada's softwood industry.

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Hon. Mary Ng (Minister of International Trade, Export Promotion, Small Business and Economic Development, Lib.)

Nov/26/21 11:46:28 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I think Canadians will know who is defending them and who has always defended them. When we retaliated against the U.S. on unfair U.S. aluminum and steel tariffs, the current Leader of the Opposition urged us to stop fighting back. When we were negotiating for a better CUSMA deal, the Conservatives wanted Canada to capitulate to Donald Trump. Our government has a proven track record of negotiating outcomes for the benefit of Canadian businesses and Canadian workers, whether it is renegotiating NAFTA, getting a good deal on CPTPP or getting a good deal on CETA. We are going to continue doing this work for Canadians.

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Hon. Mary Ng (Minister of International Trade, Export Promotion, Small Business and Economic Development, Lib.)

Nov/26/21 11:45:12 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, my message to the forestry sector industry and the workers is that we will continue to stand up for their interests. We are interested in an outcome that is acceptable to the forestry industry and to the workers. We are going to work with the Canadian softwood lumber industry, as we have always done. It is they who will give us the mandate to take to the United States on this very issue. I am going to keep working closely with industry. Together, we are going to take a team Canada approach, just as we have done all the way along, challenging on this issue and continuing to work on it.

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Hon. Mary Ng

Nov/26/21 11:44:05 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, this issue is important. It is why we are pursuing it under chapter 10. However, this is only possible because this government fought hard to keep the dispute settlement mechanism in the new trade agreement so that we could stand up for Canadians. I want to remind the House and Canadians that the Conservatives urged the government to capitulate to Donald Trump and get us a weaker deal. We did not. Our government will always stand up for Canadian workers and the softwood lumber industry.

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Hon. Mary Ng (Minister of International Trade, Export Promotion, Small Business and Economic Development, Lib.)

Nov/26/21 11:43:45 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, this issue is a priority for our government. It is why we are pursuing litigation under chapter 10 of CUSMA— Some hon. members: Oh, oh!

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Hon. Mary Ng (Minister of International Trade, Export Promotion, Small Business and Economic Development, Lib.)

Nov/26/21 11:42:32 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I have been speaking to the industry, including the industry represented and advocated by the indigenous softwood lumber members. The Conservatives can shout talking points all they like, but it is the Canadian softwood lumber industry, including the indigenous softwood lumber industry, that will give me and this government a negotiating mandate on this issue. I will work closely with the industry, as I always have, and we will continue to pursue their interests.

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Hon. Mary Ng (Minister of International Trade, Export Promotion, Small Business and Economic Development, Lib.)

Nov/26/21 11:41:09 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, our government will always stand up for the forestry sector, and we will always stand up for its workers. We presented challenges before CUSMA at the WTO, where it has been ruled that Canada is a fair trading partner. We absolutely denounce these tariffs. They are unfair, they are unjustified and they hurt workers and businesses on both sides of the border. I have been speaking to Quebec industry and workers on this very matter, and I will continue to stand up for their interests.

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