Opening Doors to the World Canada’s International Market Access Priorities – 2005 Opening Doors to the World Canada’s International Market Access Priorities – 2005 This publication and additional export information are available on-line at www.international.gc.ca or www.exportsource.ca. Unless otherwise specified, monetary figures in this document are in Canadian dollars. Merchandise trade figures appearing throughout this document are preliminary “customs basis” figures released by Statistics Canada, February 10, 2005. Services trade figures are “Balance of Payments” figures released by Statistics Canada, February 25, 2005. All investment statistics are from Statistics Canada. ABOUT THIS DOCUMENT The Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade coordinated the preparation of this report with pening Doors to the World: Canada’s International the assistance of Canadian embassies and missions Market Access Priorities – 2005 outlines the abroad, other federal government departments (espe- OGovernment of Canada’s priorities for improving cially Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Finance access to foreign markets for Canadian traders and Canada, Industry Canada and Natural Resources investors through a range of multilateral, regional Canada), provincial governments and, of course, and bilateral initiatives in 2005. It also presents Canadians doing business abroad. Its contents are significant market-opening results from 2004 that current up to end of February 2005. will benefit Canadian business. Subjects range from Canada’s broad negotiating objectives at the World Opening Doors to the World: Canada’s International Trade Organization to the details of specific bilateral Market Access Priorities – 2005 updates and expands trade irritants. The report is not intended to be an on topics presented in the 2004 report, which was exhaustive catalogue of government activities to released in April 2004. improve access to foreign markets; neither is it a comprehensive inventory of foreign barriers to trade or investment. © Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister for International Trade, 2005 Catalogue number: IT1-2/2005 ISBN: 0-662-68825-2 TABLE OF CONTENTS Message from the Minister for International Trade.......................................................................... 1 1. Introduction................................................................................................................................................. 3 2. Getting the International Rules Right: The World Trade Organization............... 14 Improving Access for Trade in Goods................................................................................................................ 16 Improving Access for Trade in Services ............................................................................................................. 25 Issues that affect Access for Trade in Goods and Services ................................................................................. 28 Accessions to the World Trade Organization..................................................................................................... 32 3. Investment................................................................................................................................................... 33 Canadian Direct Investment Abroad................................................................................................................. 33 Foreign Direct Investment in Canada ............................................................................................................... 34 Canada’s International Investment Agenda ....................................................................................................... 35 Corporate Social Responsibility......................................................................................................................... 37 4. Opening Doors to the Americas ..................................................................................................... 38 North American Free Trade Agreement............................................................................................................. 38 United States...................................................................................................................................................... 40 Mexico ............................................................................................................................................................... 57 5. Opening Doors to Central and South America.................................................................... 62 Free Trade Area of the Americas ........................................................................................................................ 62 MERCOSUR .................................................................................................................................................... 63 Brazil .............................................................................................................................................................. 64 Argentina........................................................................................................................................................ 66 Chile .................................................................................................................................................................. 68 ANDEAN COMMUNITY............................................................................................................................... 70 Venezuela........................................................................................................................................................ 70 CENTRAL AMERICA..................................................................................................................................... 72 Costa Rica...................................................................................................................................................... 73 Central America Four .................................................................................................................................... 73 El Salvador ..................................................................................................................................................... 74 Guatemala ...................................................................................................................................................... 74 Honduras ....................................................................................................................................................... 75 Nicaragua ....................................................................................................................................................... 75 Panama........................................................................................................................................................... 76 CARIBBEAN .................................................................................................................................................... 76 Caribbean Community (CARICOM) ........................................................................................................... 76 Haiti............................................................................................................................................................... 78 Cuba............................................................................................................................................................... 78 The Dominican Republic .............................................................................................................................. 79 6. Opening Doors to Europe.................................................................................................................. 81 European Union ................................................................................................................................................ 81 European Free Trade Association....................................................................................................................... 89 Russian Federation............................................................................................................................................. 89 Ukraine.............................................................................................................................................................. 92 Kazakhstan......................................................................................................................................................... 94 7. Opening Doors to Asia Pacific ....................................................................................................... 96 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation .................................................................................................................. 96 Japan.................................................................................................................................................................. 98 China............................................................................................................................................................... 108 Hong Kong.....................................................................................................................................................