News & Press Releases

Guelph Chamber to Minister of Foreign Affairs: Successful NAFTA 2.0 Negotiations Vital to Community Prosperity

For Immediate Release | Aug 2, 2018

With the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) negotiations on the minds of so many businesses in Guelph, the Guelph Chamber of Commerce issued a letter to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hon. Chrystia Freeland. The letter came as a direct action from a recent roundtable of local businesses as well as feedback the Chamber of Commerce received following the conclusion of the ‘Guelph Economic Leadership Forum: on the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)’ in the spring.

“As businesses in Guelph and across the country consider the implications of a revamped NAFTA arrangement, the Guelph Chamber sought to inform the Minister on the local community impact and the implications of the NAFTA agreement on communities like ours,” says Kithio Mwanzia, President & CEO of the Guelph Chamber of Commerce.

The Guelph Chamber of Commerce made its submission to inform the NAFTA renegotiation process in the summer of last year during the consultation period. Given that NAFTA has been in force for over 20 years, the Government of Canada also sought information on the areas that have proved the most beneficial to Canadian exporters. As part of the modernization, it remains vitally important that the Government of Canada recommit to the principles of the Canada-US Regulatory Cooperation Council (RCC) in its initiative to harmonize regulatory requirements and practices.

“Guelph is home to a number of leading Canadian companies that do business on both sides of the border, Canada and the United States share one of the most unique and prosperous relationships in the world driven by the success and ingenuity of businesses on both sides of the border,” concludes Mwanzia.

For more information, contact Kithio Mwanzia, President & CEO, Guelph Chamber of Commerce.
E: kithio@guelphchamber.com | P: 519-822-8081 | www.guelphchamber.com