MONTREAL -- Free and open trade, rather than protectionism, is the best way to secure global recovery and create jobs, Canadian International Trade Minister Ed Fast told a Montreal economic conference Wednesday.
In a speech to the International Economic Forum of the Americas, Fast said Canada must improve its access to fast growing markets around the world, particularly in Latin America and Asia Pacific.
The government also hopes to conclude the world's largest free-trade agreement by year-end with the European Union.
Fast said Canadian workers and businesses have gained preferred access and a real competitive advantage in markets around the world.
Since 2006, Canada has concluded free trade agreements with nine countries -- Colombia, Jordan, Panama, Peru, the European Free Trade Association (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland) and Honduras.
It is also deepening trade ties with the world's fastest growing markets in the world in such countries as Brazil, China and India.
Canada also became the first tariff-free manufacturing zone in the G20 with the elimination of over 1,800 tariffs on imported machinery, equipment and manufacturing inputs.
Former Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan will be the keynote speaker on the third day of the Conference of Montreal.
