Canadian American Business Council Welcomes Report To Leaders On Two Major Bilateral Initiatives

Plans seen as game changer for Canada-U.S. cooperation

WASHINGTON, Dec. 14, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- As a central voice behind Canada-U.S. cooperation for more than 25 years, the Canadian American Business Council (CABC) today welcomed the release of the Report to Leaders on the Beyond the Border and Regulatory Cooperation Council Action Plans. 

"The Beyond the Border and Regulatory Cooperation Council Action Plans, we believe, represent two of the most significant steps in Canada-U.S. cooperation since the signing of NAFTA," said Amgad Shehata of UPS and Chairman of the CABC.  "With the proper support of leaders on both sides of the border, these action plans will not only work to better align our regulatory approaches to protect health, safety, and the environment, but also support growth, investment, innovation and market openness.  Today's announcements, though, are just the next step in ongoing and shared efforts to improve the management of the border, align our regulations and contribute to North American security and competitiveness.  We applaud our leaders for their work done to bring these action plans to fruition and look forward to substantial progress against goals in the months ahead, now that neither federal government is in election mode."

"As a food and beverage company with operations in the U.S. and Canada, Campbell strongly supports regulatory cooperation and border efficiencies," said Kelly Johnston, Vice President-Government Affairs, Campbell Soup Company and CABC Board member. "The business community on both sides of the border should be pleased with the progress that's been made at the half-way point of this two-year effort. A stronger economic relationship between our two countries is essential for growth, and we're grateful to the Prime Minister and the President for their leadership."

Coming out of the Shared Vision for Perimeter Security and Economic Competitiveness developed by President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Stephen Harper in February 2011, the Beyond the Border and Regulatory Cooperation Council Action Plans are designed to speed up legitimate trade and travel, improve security and economic competitiveness in North America, and align regulatory approaches between the two countries, where appropriate.      

To learn more about the CABC's support of these action plans, please contact Emma Rigby, CABC Executive Director at 202.496.7906 or erigby@mckennalong.com

About the Canadian American Business Council
The CABC is the voice of business in the world's most prosperous relationship. Established in 1987 in Washington, D.C., the Council is a non-profit, non-partisan, issues-oriented organization dedicated to elevating the private sector perspective on issues that affect our two nations. Our members are key business leaders and stakeholders from both sides of the border. The Council's activities include high-level briefings on issues of current concern, assistance with practical trade and policy challenges, significant networking opportunities, and informative seminars. 

The CABC Board roster is represented by the American Apparel and Footwear Association, Air Canada, Associated Equipment Distributors, Baxter, Bombardier, Borden Ladner Gervais, Campbell Soup Company, Canadian National Railway, Coca-Cola Refreshments, Deloitte, Dickstein Shapiro, Ford Motor Company, General Electric, Lockheed Martin, MTS Allstream, Ontario Media Development Corporation, Research In Motion, Revolution Organics, Shell, Spectra Energy, Sutherland, Target, TransCanada, United Technologies and UPS.

For more information about the CABC and membership contact: 
Emma Rigby, Executive Director, CABC: 202.496.7906; erigby@mckennalong.com; www.canambusco.org

SOURCE Canadian American Business Council