North American leaders work to increase trade

Officials from Canada, Mexico and the United States will increase trade cooperation through the North American Competitiveness Work Plan.    During a conference on competitiveness, trade representatives from Canada, Mexico and the United States have pledged to increase trade cooperation through the North American Competitiveness Work Plan, according to a joint statement.
   Ed Fast, Canada’s minister of international trade; Ildefonso Guajardo Villarreal, Mexico’s secretary of economy; and Penny Pritzker, the United States’ secretary of commerce, agreed on the way forward during the  North American Competitiveness and Innovation conference in Toronto, Ontario.
   “The work plan has eight key pillars, all of which aim to increase North American competitiveness. These pillars include trilateral investment initiatives, tourism collaboration, border facilitation, regulatory cooperation, entrepreneurship and innovation, strengthening the North American production platform, stakeholder outreach, and promotion of skills for a 21st century workforce,” they said in the statement.
   According to the statement, the three countries have a trade relationship worth more than $1.4 trillion.
   “This work plan exemplifies how our three countries work together to support North American companies, particularly small- and medium-sized enterprises,” they said. “It also showcases how our countries continue to strengthen our economic partnership, generate prosperity, and increase competitiveness on the global stage.”