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Surrey Board of Trade has responded to the Buy American policy, as well as the resolution at the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) convention in Whistler that would see cities block U.S. bidders from city contracts.
The Surrey Board of Trade supports efforts by the Canadian federal, provincial, and territorial governments to pursue bilateral discussions with the United States to ensure that companies from both countries can bid on government procurement contracts.
“The Surrey Board of Trade wants to do everything to encourage international trade – we live in a global economy – we can’t escape it” said Inde Sumal, President of the Surrey Board of Trade.
The Surrey Board of Trade opposes protectionism as a general rule and believes in making every effort to resolve protectionist issues through negotiation and diplomacy. However, when those efforts fail, we believe that stronger measures are justified. The FCM resolution increases the focus on this issue. We support the Government's efforts and sympathize with the Municipalities' frustrations.
While we continue to support the efforts of the US Chambers to ease the existing ‘Buy American’ provisions in the U.S. stimulus package, the reality is that Canadian companies have been shut out from $280 billion worth of state and municipal-level government procurement opportunities in the United States. More disturbing still is that similar rules are being included in other pieces of legislation before the U.S. Congress while American companies enjoy equal access to Canadian projects.
Real progress must be made on this issue in the very near future or the frustration reflected in the FCM resolution may well boil over with the implementation of policies that address the immediate pain being felt by Canadian businesses, rather than serving the long term interests of both countries.
Until Canadians decide that dealing with the US isn’t in our best interest, we do in fact need this market. Protectionism won’t do anything to pull either country out of a recession.
For more information contact Anita Huberman, CEO, Surrey Board of Trade; 604.581.7130.
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