The Harper government says it's successfully concluded an eighth round of free trade negotiations with the European Union and is on track to clinch a deal by 2012.During discussions in Brussels this week, Canada and the 27-member country EU traded offers to open up their respective markets in the fields of goods and government purchasing.
International Trade Minister Ed Fast described the eighth round as having made “important progress” toward an agreement.
Canadians officials are declining to release details on what this country is offering the EU in terms of greater access to Canada's markets, saying public release right now would harm Ottawa's negotiating position.
Mr. Fast however hinted that Canada is prepared to offer the Europeans significant concessions, calling both sides' offers on goods and government purchasing “ambitious” in scope.
He tried to assure Canadians however that Ottawa will come away from the table with gains, rather than losses, for employees and businesses in Canada.
“These negotiations represent our most significant trade initiative since the North American Free Trade Agreement, and our government is vigorously defending Canada's interests to ensure that any agreement we sign benefits Canadian workers, businesses and their families,” Mr. Fast said in a prepared statement.
A Canada-EU joint economic study, released in October 2008, predicted that free trade agreement between the two jurisdictions could boost Canadian economic output by at least $12-billion annually and bring gains for the country's industries, from aerospace to wood products.
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Source: Globe & Mail
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