Minister Bains and Minister Ng conclude a successful week at the World Economic Forum

January 25, 2020 - Ottawa, Ontario – Global Affairs Canada

Canada’s diverse talent, access to new and growing markets, and progressive and open trade are all vital to Canada’s economic prosperity and lead to good jobs and opportunities for the middle class. 

This week, the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, the Honourable Navdeep Bains, and the Minister of Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade, the Honourable Mary Ng, showcased Canada on the international stage at the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland.

The Ministers met with their international partners and business leaders from around the world to talk about how Canada is an excellent, stable place to invest and do business.

Minister Bains participated in sessions where he reaffirmed Canada’s commitment to science, research, technology and innovation and underscored the government’s desire to bring zero-emission vehicle manufacturing capacity to Canada.

In addition, Minister Bains announced our support of Mastercard’s project to help establish a new global Intelligence and Cyber Centre in Vancouver, British Columbia with an investment of $49 million. The Centre will focus on creating technologies and standards to ensure that Canadians and others around the world can safely use any device that could be connected to the Internet—phone, tablet, computer, vehicle—without concern that their personal and financial information could be stolen.

Minister Ng led discussion groups at the WEF Stewards meeting about the future of trade and the global economy, and promoted progressive trade deals as a way to create more opportunities and jobs for Canadians across the country.

Minister Ng also highlighted how an inclusive approach to trade policy ensures that all people benefit from the increasingly interconnected world – including women, Indigenous entrepreneurs, and small businesses.

As Chair of the Canada-led Ottawa Group on WTO Reform, Minister Ng led efforts to modernize and strengthen the World Trade Organization (WTO) – to create a more transparent, predictable system for businesses in Canada and around the world. She advanced discussions on how we can ensure trade disputes are resolved effectively, as well as how Ottawa Group members can help organize a successful 12th WTO Ministerial Conference in June 2020.

Minister Ng and her international partners spoke about key issues under discussion at the WTO such as e-commerce, investment facilitation, and fisheries subsidies – with a focus on giving businesses the stability they need to succeed. Meaningful agreement is needed at the next WTO Ministerial Conference to ensure sustainable management of the world’s fish resources – which we know is important for Canadian businesses in this sector.

Minister Ng also endorsed the Cairns Group Ministerial Statement on Agriculture, which reaffirms WTO members’ commitment to reforming agriculture trade in the long-term, to making progress across all areas under negotiation, and to supporting Canadian farmers and producers. She closed the week at the WEF at the WTO mini-ministerial meeting hosted by Switzerland where she briefed her counterparts on her discussions with the Ottawa Group on WTO reform and how it will benefit Canadian businesses from coast to coast to coast.