Thursday, March 25, 2010

Minister Van Loan Introduces Legislation for Canada-Jordan Free Trade Agreement

(Minister of International Trade)

Agreement will expand trade opportunities with Jordan

The Honourable Peter Van Loan, Minister of International Trade, today followed through on a commitment made in the Speech from the Throne earlier this month by introducing legislation to implement the Canada-Jordan Free Trade Agreement and related agreements on labour cooperation and the environment.

“The Canada-Jordan Free Trade Agreement, once implemented, will open doors to this growing economy and give Canadian businesses a real advantage in the broader Middle East and North African markets,” said Minister Van Loan.

Upon implementation, the free trade agreement will eliminate tariffs on over 99%, by value, of recent Canadian exports to Jordan, thereby directly benefiting Canadian exporters and workers. Two-way merchandise trade between Canada and Jordan totalled $82.5 million in 2009. Read more here.