Minister Ng reinforces Canada’s global trade ties at G20 Trade and Investment Ministers Meeting

September 23, 2022 – Ottawa, Ontario – Global Affairs Canada

Canada is committed to strengthening its cooperation with key trade partners and supporting sustainable growth through an open, transparent, and inclusive rules-based multilateral trading system.

Today, the Honourable Mary Ng, Minister of International Trade, Export Promotion, Small Business and Economic Development, concluded her participation at the G20 Trade, Investment and Industry Ministerial Meeting in Indonesia.

At the meeting, Minister Ng urged the G20 members to continue their collaboration on advancing key WTO reform priorities, including progressing on dispute resolution, fisheries subsidies, e-commerce, agriculture, and preparation for future pandemics. The Minister also advanced discussions on digital trade and strengthening of the multilateral trading system to support the Sustainable Development Goals and economic growth that benefits everyone.

Minister Ng reiterated Canada’s strong condemnation of Russia’s continued and heightened aggression toward Ukraine, which is a direct challenge to the rules-based international order. This further escalation of war is unacceptable and a sign that Russia is failing. Canada stands with the Ukrainian people in their fight for freedom and democracy. The Minister maintained that the G20 must respond to Russia’s actions and their impacts, including on international trade.

She also highlighted Canada’s support of Indonesia’s G20 presidency priorities on global health architecture, sustainable investment and energy transition, digital transformation, equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines, and promotion of the economic participation of small businesses to support an inclusive economic recovery. She thanked Indonesia for its presidency and reiterated Canada’s commitment to continued collaboration in order to produce concrete outcomes.

Minister Ng also held bilateral meetings with her counterparts to strengthen commercial ties, including Reyes Maroto Illera, Spain’s Minister of Industry, Trade and Tourism, and Ahn Duk-gean, South Korea’s Minister for Trade. Minister Ng also sat down with Piyush Goyal, India’s Minister of Commerce and Industry, Consumer Affairs and Food and Public Distribution and Textiles, to advance negotiations on a Canada-India early progress trade agreement.

Minister Ng also met with Pamela Coke-Hamilton, Executive Director of the International Trade Centre (ITC). They spoke about the importance of inclusive trade to a strong economic global recovery. At the meeting, Minister Ng was pleased to announce the Government of Canada’s funding of $960,000 to help the ITC in its support of developing countries’ micro-, small and medium-sized exporters as they build export capacity and take advantage of export opportunities. The announcement was made on behalf of the Honourable Harjit S. Sajjan, Minister of International Development and Minister responsible for the Pacific Economic Development Agency of Canada.