Canada begins ratification process of the new North American T-MEC treaty



The Canadian Parliament began on Monday the process of ratification of the new North American trade agreement, called T-MEC, the last step necessary for the agreement negotiated by the United States, Mexico and Canada to replace NAFTA to enter into force.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said today at the restart of the sessions of the Lower House of Parliament that they will "concentrate on ratifying it quickly."

Although the Trudeau Liberal Party only has 157 of the 338 seats of the Commons, Trudeau is confident that it will gain the support of other parties to get ratification.

The agreement also has to be approved by the Canadian Senate, which will not restart its sessions until February 4.

Also today, Canada's Deputy Prime Minister, Chrystia Freeland, requested during a press conference in Ottawa that opposition parties support the approval of the agreement "without delay."

Freeland was in charge of presenting the text of the motion that will begin approval of the agreement in the lower house today.

"I ask that all of us here work together as colleagues to put Canada and Canadians ahead and pass this legislation without unjustified delays," said Freeland, who during his time as Minister of Foreign Affairs negotiated the T-MEC.

Freeland added that the agreement "is a victory for all Canadians of any party and all regions" of Canada.

The Government of Trudeau foresees that the Conservative, the main opposition party, with 121 deputies, will support the ratification of the agreement.

Today, Yves-Francois Blanchet, leader of the Québec Block (BQ), the third party in number of seats with 32 and representing the interests of the province of Quebec, said that although the formation defends free trade, he wants to be sure that The T-MEC protects the aluminum industry, key to the French-speaking province.

But Canada's own aluminum sector has approved the agreement and has also requested the rapid ratification of the agreement.

Meanwhile, representatives of business and economic organizations in the country expressed their support for the ratification of the agreement.

The Canadian Chamber of Commerce said in a statement that "it is crucial for companies to have this agreement ratified quickly," since the United States and Mexico are the country's two main trading partners.

The Chamber of Commerce added that the T-MEC "represents a good result for the Canadian economy even if not all aspects of the agreement are perfect for all sectors of the economy."

For its part, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, which represents municipalities throughout the country, also expressed support for ratification.

"We are the economic engines of our countries and the mutual benefits of a strong and fair economic relationship between the three countries are clear. Our free and fair trade association is critical to building globally competitive communities and a prosperous future," the federation added.

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