41st Conference of New England Governors and Eastern Canadian Premiers

RESOLUTION 41-1 – RESOLUTION CONCERNING TRADE INTEGRATION AND THE BENEFITS OF CROSS-BORDER TRADE

WHEREAS, the region has a combined population of nearly 25.5 million and it generates 12.7 million jobs;

WHEREAS, the value of bilateral trade in goods and services between Canada and the United States exceeded CAD $841 billion in 2016;

WHEREAS, Canada is the number one export market for New England, and the United States is the number one export market for Eastern Canada;

WHEREAS, the Eastern Canadian Provinces account for two-thirds of the trade between Canada and the New England States;

WHEREAS, the relationship between New England and Eastern Canada is a model of regional economic integration wherein thousands of companies are integrated into supply chains and several large companies have offices on both sides of the border, their operations interchangeably linked;  

WHEREAS, both New England and Eastern Canada benefit from economic integration which stimulates innovation, reduces production costs and increases the efficiency of supply chains, the renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement offers an opportunity to further strengthen the regional competitiveness and succeed in the global marketplace;

WHEREAS, cross-border trade and investment between the United States and Canada generates approximately nine million jobs in the United States and nearly two million jobs in Canada;

WHEREAS, the opening of markets, the fluidity of border crossing and the certainty of the legal framework are essential elements for the growth of cross-border trade;

WHEREAS, the addition by the NEG-ECP of a business-to-business forum at the 41st annual conference emphasizes the value of cross-border trade and strong regional business collaboration;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT governors and premiers recognize the economic interdependence between the two countries and the region as well as the important contribution of cross-border trade to the prosperity of the states and provinces they represent; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT the governors and premiers encourage dialogue among elected officials, business communities and Canadian and US citizens to promote cross-border trade, trade liberalization and North American integration.

Adopted at the 41st Annual Conference of the New England Governors and Eastern Canadian Premiers, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, August 28, 2017