35th Conference of New England Governors and Eastern Canadian Premiers

 

RESOLUTION 35-2

RESOLUTION ON ENHANCED PROCUREMENT COMMITMENTS
BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA

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WHEREAS, the United States and Canada share the world's largest and most comprehensive trading relationship, with total trade between the two countries exceeding $524.7 billion in 2010, and these relations contribute directly to maintaining eight million jobs in the United States and three million jobs in Canada; and

WHEREAS, the Conference of New England Governors and Eastern Canadian Premiers (NEG/ECP) acknowledges that the success of these relations depends to a large extent on the highly integrated nature of American and Canadian economies and the extensive supply chains and distribution networks developed between the two countries , which is also an important factor in ensuring the competitiveness of American and Canadian suppliers in third country markets ; and

WHEREAS, the NEG/ECP is firmly committed to promoting economic development in the region, and one of the ways to favour such development is to expand market access for government procurement; and

WHEREAS, the signing of the Agreement between the Government of Canada and the Government of the United States of America on Government Procurement, which came into effect on February 16, 2010, has contributed to enhanced, mutually beneficial access to government procurement contracts in both countries; and

WHEREAS, discussions were initiated in February 2011 between the Government of the United States and the Government of Canada to explore options to expand, on a reciprocal basis, the current commitments with respect to market access for government procurement; and

WHEREAS, NEG/ECP is interested in examining possible further commitments with respect to their respective state and provincial procurement practices in order to improve market access in both countries.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT NEG/ECP urges the Government of the United States and the Government of Canada to intensify their discussions and to call upon the collaboration of provincial/territorial and state governments with a view to achieving meaningful results in relation to the expansion of government procurement commitments; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT copies of this resolution be forwarded to the United States Trade Representative and the Minister of International Trade of Canada.

Adopted at the 35 th Annual Conference of the New England Governors and Eastern Canadian Premiers in Halifax, Nova Scotia, July 11, 2011.