Special Committee on the Economic Relationship between Canada and the United States

Comité spécial sur la relation économique entre le Canada et les États-Unis

For immediate release

Ottawa, June 16, 2021 -

Today, the House of Commons Special Committee on the Economic Relationship between Canada and the United States presented, in the House of Commons, a report entitled “Buy America” Procurement Policies: An Interim Report.

The report contains six recommendations regarding U.S. “Buy America” policies and other procurement matters. In particular, the recommendations address: one or more Canadian exemptions from these policies; discussions among firms, labour groups and other Canadian and U.S. stakeholders concerning the costs of procurement projects and the need for supply chains that are uninterrupted and resilient; the establishment of bilateral procurement strategies; and the provision of information to parliamentarians about The American Jobs Plan that was announced in March 2021.

“Buy America” policies are thought to have a number of negative effects. For example, they may prevent integrated supply chains from functioning properly, lead to job losses in Canada and the U.S., and make procurement projects more expensive for American taxpayers. Implementation of the report’s recommendations could help to enhance Canada’s access to U.S. procurement markets, which would benefit both Canadians and Americans, and facilitate the special committee’s ongoing study of U.S. “Buy America” policies.

The Special Committee’s report can be accessed on its website.