Canadian and British manufacturers welcome launch of Canada-UK free trade agreement negotiations

Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters (CME) and Make UK, the two national trade associations representing manufacturers in Canada and the United Kingdom, welcome the launch of new negotiations for an enhanced and comprehensive free trade agreement between our two countries.

Manufacturers in Canada and in the UK believe that our deep historical ties and the strong economic, political, and cultural links that already exist provides us with an excellent base to build an ambitious trade agreement.

Manufacturers also hope that a future deal will help grow our respective manufacturing industries and boost trade between the UK and Canada.

“These negotiations provide us with a once-in-a-generation opportunity to create a framework that will lead to growth and prosperity for the manufacturing industry and both our economies,” said Dennis Darby, President and CEO of CME. “Manufacturers strongly believe that our negotiators should strive to craft an ambitious agreement that would set the standard for all future trade agreements. If we can do that, I think it will be easier for our companies to use the agreement to grow their businesses and trade,” concluded Darby.

Stephen Phipson, Chief Executive Officer of Make UK said: “Achieving future preferential trade arrangements with Canada receives strong support from UK manufacturers. These preferential trade arrangements will ensure manufacturing benefits from future positive flows of goods and services into the Canadian market. At a moment when confidence and certainty needs to return to global trade, opportunities to work with Canada to boost environment technologies and skills, seek strong bilateral commitments to investment and re-alignment in supply chains as well as reducing burdens on business in the trade of goods and services must be taken through these negotiations with a key trading partner.”

Both Make UK and CME applaud the Hon. Mary Ng, Minister of Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade of Canada and the UK’s Department for International Trade Secretary of State Anne-Marie Trevelyan for announcing the start of negotiations today. We also thank our respective negotiating teams for the work they will do over the coming months. Our associations and our members pledge our strong support for this work, and we look forward to being part of the process in the days ahead.