16 November 2012
Ottawa, Ontario
Prime Minister Stephen Harper on Monday will participate in the Canadian American Business Council’s 18th Annual Fall Policy Forum and Business Achievement Luncheon, where he will highlight the importance of Canada-U.S. relations.
“Canada and the United States have one of the closest and most extensive relationships in the world,” said Prime Minister Harper. “In an uncertain global economy, it is absolutely critical that Canada and the United States continue to work together on initiatives to generate jobs and economic prosperity on both sides of the border and throughout North America.”
Canada and the U.S. currently cooperate on a number of initiatives that will bolster trade and create high-value jobs from coast to coast to coast. These include the Beyond the Border Action Plan, which will facilitate cross-border trade and travel between Canada and the U.S. while enhancing security, and the multilateral Trans-Pacific Partnership, which will boost trade between North America and the Asia-Pacific region.
In 2011, bilateral merchandise trade between Canada and the U.S. was valued at $611 billion. At the end of 2011, the United States maintained the largest stock of foreign direct investment in Canada, while Canada maintained the fifth-largest stock of foreign direct investment in the U.S.
Established in 1987 in Washington, D.C., the Canadian American Business Council (CABC) is a non-profit, non-partisan, issues-oriented organization dedicated to elevating the private sector perspective on issues that affect Canada and the United States. The Annual Fall Policy Forum and Business Achievement Luncheon brings together influential policymakers and leaders from each country to discuss areas of mutual interest. The forum also provides an opportunity to recognize Canadian and American companies whose joint enterprise has resulted in strong business growth, remarkable innovation and the capacity to provide the partners with a global advantage.
