27 North American chambers of commerce rally in favour of NAFTA's renewal

MONTREAL, Jan. 18, 2018 /CNW Telbec/ - This January 22, the leaders of 27 metropolitan chambers of commerce will come together in the lead-up to the next round of NAFTA negotiations. The goal of this meeting will be to clearly identify the issues around the renewal of NAFTA and the risks that our companies would face in the event of the current negotiations' failure.

This event is an initiative of the Canadian Global Cities Council (CGCC), a coalition of Canada's eight largest metropolitan chambers of commerce. Besides these eight Canadian chambers, eleven American and eight Mexican chambers of commerce will be in attendance. Collectively, these chambers represent economic zones that are worth more than USD 1.4 trillion.

"The metropolitan chambers of commerce are more rallied than ever. Every day, they work with thousands of companies that directly benefit from NAFTA. They know that millions of high-quality jobs depend on the fluidity of supply chains and on access to 500 million North American consumers. The goal of the meeting will be to send a strong message to the three governments on the importance of renewing the agreement and maintaining open access to the entire North American market," says Michel Leblanc, President and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal.

"While the renegotiation process is an opportunity to modernize and adapt the agreement to the digital era, NAFTA has led to one of the world's strongest economic relationships and must be strengthened," says Jan De Silva, President & CEO of the Toronto Region Board of Trade. "The meeting in Montreal is the first opportunity for metropolitan chambers of commerce on both sides of the Canada-U.S. border to bring their local perspectives to the renegotiation process and work together on the issues surrounding the future of North American trade."

The members of the CGCC are: Jan De Silva, President and CEO of the Toronto Region Board of Trade; Michel Leblanc, President and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal; Zoe Addington, representative for the Calgary Chamber of Commerce; Iain Black, President and CEO of the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade; Janet M. Riopel, President and CEO of the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce; Loren Remillard, President and CEO of the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce; Todd Letts, CEO of the Brampton Board of Trade; and Patrick Sullivan, President and CEO of the Halifax Chamber of Commerce.

The leaders of the following chambers and boards of trade will attend the meeting in Montreal: Winnipeg, Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal, Halifax, Edmonton, Calgary, Brampton, St-Louis, San Antonio, Minneapolis, Los Angeles, Kansas City, Detroit, Dallas, Cleveland, Charlotte, Boston, Albany, Veracruz, Toluca, Tijuana, Querétaro, Monterrey, Mexico City, Mérida and Chihuahua.

About the Canadian Global Cities Council (CGCC) 
Founded in 2015, the Canadian Global Cities Council (CGCC) is a coalition of presidents and CEOs of the eight largest urban regional chambers of commerce and boards of trade in Canada: Brampton, Calgary, Edmonton, Halifax, Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver and Winnipeg. Representing 52% of Canada's GDP and more than half of the country's population, CGCC collaborates on international and domestic issues impacting our regions' competitiveness. Infrastructure, the economic environment, trade and talent are its priority concerns.

SOURCE Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal