CIAC shares the chemistry industry’s interests in modernizing NAFTA at Alberta’s Manufacturing NAFTA Roundtable

On June 26, Debbie Stephens, President of Dow Canada ULC and Chair of the Chemistry Industry Association’s (CIAC) Board of Directors, along with Greg Moffatt, CIAC’s Director Government and Stakeholder Relations – Western Canada, attended a Manufacturing North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) Roundtable in Calgary.

Alberta Economic Development and Trade hosted the meeting to hear the specific interests of the manufacturing sector in the province to inform their participation in the NAFTA negotiations that will begin later this year. The meeting was attended by representatives from Global Affairs Canada and Alberta’s manufacturing sector. 

CIAC shared the chemical manufacturing sector’s interests in modernizing NAFTA. Our sector is the largest manufacturing exporter in Alberta, and across North America represents a highly integrated value chain with the U.S. and Mexico. This integration has generated economic benefits for all three countries and is reflected in the strong alignment amongst CIAC, the American Chemistry Council (ACC), and the Mexican Chemical Industry National Association (ANIQ) in their NAFTA advocacy to their respective governments.

Specifically, CIAC is advocating for:

  • Maintaining current tariff-free trade for qualified products;
  • Improvements to rule of origin requirement;
  • Enhanced customs and trade facilitation; 
  • Digital trade, and regulatory harmonization and cooperation; and

CIAC will be making a submission to Global Affairs Canada as part of their public consultations on the renegotiation of the NAFTA with the U.S. and Mexico this week. CIAC will also continue to work with the ACC and ANIQ (a joint statement issued by all three associations on our common NAFTA modernization goals can be found here).