Readout of the Meeting Between United States Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker and Canada’s Minister of International Trade

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker today met with the Honourable Ed Fast, Canadian Minister of International Trade in Washington. This was their first face-to-face meeting.

Secretary Pritzker and Minister Fast took stock of the progress made to date, and committed to continued strong bilateral work in the future regarding the Beyond the Border and Regulatory Cooperation Council Action Plans. Announced by President Obama and Prime Minister Harper, these two initiatives focus on enhancing our two countries' mutual security, prosperity and economic competitiveness by increasing regulatory alignment and efficiency at the border. 

Thirty-eight U.S. states count Canada as their top export destination. With more than $1.4 million in goods and services crossing the border every minute through highly integrated supply chains, good jobs and greater prosperity for Americans and Canadians depend on our strong trade relationship.