GENEVA — Canadian trade minister Ed Fast took advantage of a recent World Trade Organization session to go on the attack against what he considers to be rising protectionism.
In his first address to a recent WTO ministerial meeting, the rookie trade minister said Canada is leading the way in fighting protectionism. He cited five years of negotiating trade deals, liberalizing 1,800 tariff lines on imports and taking steps to end the Canadian Wheat Board monopoly.
“If our goal is prosperity for our citizens, protectionism is poisonous to that effort,” Fast told other ministers in his address.
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“We must, as WTO members, stand firmly against rising protectionism.”
The call to halt new protectionist measures and roll back protectionism that has started since 2008 was part of a declaration from WTO ministers when they wrapped up their meeting Dec. 17.
Fast joined a panel of trade ministers and announced a similar declaration two days earlier.
When asked if there was a conflict between his strong condemnation of protectionism and the Canadian government’s long-standing defence of supply management, Fast said many countries have sensitive sectors that are protected.
However, he said Canada’s policies in recent years have been leading the fight against protectionism through tariff reductions and free trade deals.
The declaration issued by ministers said they were concerned that current economic troubles could result in increased trade protectionism.
“We therefore commit to refrain from raising new barriers to trade in goods and services, imposing new export restrictions or implementing WTO-inconsistent measures in all areas, including those that stimulate exports,” it said.
Fast’s inclusion of the plan to end the CWB monopoly in the list of Canadian anti-protection measures was covered by the “WTO-inconsistent measures … including those that stimulate exports.”
