Canada has a long history of being open to global markets for goods, services and capital. This interaction with the rest of the world has proven very successful, in my view, and has benefited Canadians and our foreign partners enormously through the years.
With open international markets, Canadians have been able to sell their products and services abroad and to enjoy a wide variety of imported goods, some of which could not readily be produced at home. And we have been able to set up businesses and pursue investment opportunities abroad.