U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk and Canadian Trade Minister Peter Van Loan hold a joint news conference in Ottawa on July 22, 2010FRED CHARTRAND/The Canadian Press
Trade Minister Peter Van Loan and his American counterpart emerged from a bilateral meeting in Ottawa Thursday touting the merits of expanded international free trade.
Mr. Van Loan said that he and Ron Kirk, the U.S. Trade Representative, "discussed common interests in trade issues around the world. Canada and the United States often have shared values and interests, for example, resisting protectionist measures and promoting transparency."
Canada has a new free-trade agreement with Colombia that recently became law and is negotiating a deal with the European Union, which Mr. Van Loan said is on track for completion by the end of 2011.
The United States, on the other hand, has signed a deal with Korea and hopes to have wrinkles in that agreement ironed out by November.
"Our president, every member of our administration, is more focused on what we can do to stimulate job creation in the United States right now and we believe that trade can play a critical role in doing that," Mr. Kirk said.
Mr. Van Loan describe the meeting with Mr. Kirk and being "very positive." The two men have agreed to get together twice a year to discuss any trade issues that arise between the neighbouring countries.
Among other things, they talked about Thursday a possible agreement on government procurement and the fact that, as of September, Canada would take over the collection of a 10-per-cent duty that has been imposed on softwood products from Ontario, Quebec, Manitoba and Saskatchewan.
But it was on the issue of international trade that Mr. Van Loan and Mr. Kirk seemed to share much common ground.
The Doha round of trade negotiations that began almost nine years ago has stalled over major issues. Both the Canadian minister and his American counterpart were optimistic that it will be successfully concluded.
Even so, Mr. Van Loan said, "we believe in Canada that the previous [Liberal] government made a mistake by focusing entirely on the Doha round at the expense of other trade opportunities. While we are strongly supportive, we are not going to stand by and wait for it and we are moving aggressively with other trade agreements."
Mr. Kirk said he and Mr. Van Loan bring a lot to the Doha table because they are both plain speaking and new to the talks.
"We would not be where we are today," he said, "to where we might possibly be in a position to conclude the Doha round next year frankly, had it not been for the strong advocacy of Canada and the United States to realistically address the gaps."