Canada creates special envoy for EU trade deal

The creation of a new envoy for the Canada-EU Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) reflects the high priority the country places on signing the deal, despite recent opposition.    The Canadian government has created a new envoy position in an attempt to finalize and implement a free trade agreement with the European Union, according to a statement from International Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland.
   Pierre Pettigrew, who has served both as minister of trade and foreign affairs, will be Canada’s new envoy for the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) with the EU for a term of one year, effective immediately. He will engage with a range of provinces and territories in both regions, as well as senior business and government leaders from EU member states.
   The creation of a special envoy for CETA reflects the high priority the country places on signing and implementing the deal, despite recent opposition, said Freeland.
   “Mr. Pettigrew’s deep understanding of Europe, trade and business will be instrumental in getting CETA signed this year and ratified in 2017,” she said. “He brings with him a lifetime of international experience and a profound dedication to public service. From the day we were sworn in, our government has worked tirelessly to support CETA ratification in Europe.
  “Trade means more growth, and more growth means more jobs for our middle class,” added Freeland. “Our progressive approach to trade got this deal back on track after it was stalled. Since then, the Prime Minister and ministers across government have joined me in actively engaging key European leaders on the value of this agreement.”
   “The Canada-European Union agreement sets a new global standard for trade deals and positions Canada as a trail-blazing country defining new international norms,” said Pettigrew. “CETA will generate economic opportunities and I am eager to help move this deal forward for Canada.”
   Freehand told Bloomberg news service this is the “final lap” for CETA, which was signed in 2014 by Canada’s previous government but has yet to be ratified in the European Parliament and EU Council, and she is “cautiously optimistic” the deal will be finalized despite rising protectionist sentiment.
   “The finish line is in view, but there are still some steep hills for us to climb,” she said in a recent interview. “This is a really important agreement for Canada but it’s been a hard agreement to get.
   “This is probably the most protectionist time in the transatlantic region since the Second World War,” said Freeland. “The political parties in Europe whose support we need to get CETA across the finish line are the parties of the center-left, the social democrats. The parties of the center-right have supported CETA all along, but the center-left has not.”
   Freeland is scheduled to travel next week with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to the Group of 20 summit in China, where she said the two will schedule bilateral meetings to push for CETA ratification.
   As reported previously by American Shipper, protectionist sentiments from both sides of the aisle in the upcoming United States presidential election and a lack of proper discourse around the sweeping 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership threatens to derail that agreement as well.