Policy Committees

Customs and Market Access
Focuses on reducing the costs and delays associated with moving your goods when importing into Canada or exporting to the US and beyond. This group has been the key influencer on the Canada-US Perimeter Security and Economic Competiveness initiative launched by Prime Minister Harper and President Obama, and will achieve significant improvements for trusted trader programs, simplified and harmonized government-wide single-window customs reporting, and reducing barriers to the movement of business personnel.

Energy
Advocates for reliable and cost-competitive energy supply across Canada, including successfully securing the development of new power generation facilities and related transmission infrastructure in several provinces.

Environment
Focuses on environmental policy provincially and federally to address overarching concerns with respect to regulatory practicality, simplicity and harmonization with other jurisdictions. As advocated by CME's Environmental Quality committee, the Government of Canada now fully supports regulatory harmonization on emissions regulations and its climate change strategy with the US.

Global Business Issues
Identifies and tackles key issues facing Canadian businesses in international markets; shares best practices in international trade management, and ensures CME members have access to the financing, logistics, infrastructure and business services they need to compete and win internationally. The committee is currently focusing on facilitating business travel to Canada, improving access to financing, and redefining the role and objectives of the Trade Commissioner Service.

Government Relations
Keeps you up-to-date on the policy and regulatory agenda in Ottawa and Washington that impacts all of your business operations. As part of its efforts, CME has worked with the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Canadian Embassy in Washington and Consulates throughout the US to develop a long-term strategy that aims to exempt Canadian companies from Buy American policies; and has been the primary driver creating a broad-based policy of regulatory harmonization between Canada and the US under the Regulatory Cooperation Council.

Human Resources
Focuses on improving the quality and availability of skilled workers and championing supportive policies at all levels of government. Members have been recently focusing on a strategy to help alleviate skills shortages as well as regulations on employee health and safety and employment standards issues, and creating a Canada-US recognized trade certification program.

Innovation
Advocates for policies that support governments to encourage innovation and the commercialization of new products and technologies through programs such as the Scientific Research and Experimental Development tax credit and the Industrial Research Assistance Program. CME will be publishing a paper in the coming weeks on business innovation that will respond to the recent recommendations from the Government of Canada's R&D review panel (Jenkins report) and propose new recommendations.

Tax and Finance
Advocates to lower taxes on businesses to support investment in new products, technologies and the skills of their employees, while reducing the regulatory compliance burden to enhance members' profitability. CME most recently secured the extension of the Accelerated Cost of Capital Allowance (ACCA), making it cheaper and easier for companies to invest in new productive machinery and equipment and technologies, saving Canadian companies about $650 million.

Trade Policy
Focused on securing open and fair international trade through the elimination of tariff and non-tariff barriers in free trade agreements, as well as the effective enforcement of trade rules, the enforcement of intellectual property protections and restrictions on the trade of counterfeit goods. CME members are taking the lead in defining Canada's business interests in negotiations through the World Trade Organization and cross-border trade to other international negotiations and strengthening countervail, anti-dumping and anti-counterfeit enforcement.