Government and industry host first-ever national supply chain summit

Members of the federal Cabinet were joined by business and industry leaders and associations on Monday for the first-ever National Supply Chain Summit to discuss the challenges facing Canada’s supply chain and to identify potential solutions to ensure that what Canadians need to reach their households as quickly as possible.

The federal government says global supply chains have been disrupted by the global COVID-19 pandemic and the impacts of climate change, adding ensuring that Canadians are able to put food on their tables and buy the goods and other critical supplies they need is a top priority for the Government of Canada.

The summit was hosted by the Minister of Transport, the Honourable Omar Alghabra, the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, the Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, the Minister of International Trade, Export Promotion, Small Business and Economic Development, the Honourable Mary Ng, the Minister of Labour, the Honourable Seamus O’Regan, and the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion, the Honourable Carla Qualtrough

Participants for this initial event included a broad representation of Canadian organizations including business associations, manufacturers, exporters associations, as well as chief executive officers of railway, marine, air, trucking and retail companies.

Ministers also announced that over the coming weeks, this Summit will be followed by a series of regional and industry sessions to continue the dialogue.

“This National Summit was the perfect venue to collaborate with industry partners on how to identify ways to mitigate supply chain pressures, and to encourage partners to come up with innovative solutions. An efficient and reliable transportation network is key to Canada's economic growth. The Summit represented an important milestone to discuss challenges, strategies, and next steps that will support Canada’s transportation supply chain." said Minister Alghabra.

To further advance this work, a new Supply Chain Task Force will be created. The Task Force will consult with industry experts to make recommendations regarding short and long-term actions pertaining to Canada’s supply chain. In addition, Transport Canada will make available an online portal for stakeholders and businesses to be able to provide opinions and suggestions.

As well, Minister Alghabra announced a new, $50 million targeted call for proposals under the National Trade Corridors Fund (NTCF) to immediately relieve supply chain congestion at Canadian ports, for example by increasing their storage capacity. The new call accepts expressions of interest until March 31, 2022. Successful applicants will be invited to submit a comprehensive project proposal by June 30, 2022.

Budget 2021 also provided an additional $1.9 billion over four years to recapitalize the National Trade Corridor Fund that makes our supply chain more efficient and supports our economic recovery.

“Despite the combined effects of labor shortages, climate change and the pandemic, our supply chain continues to demonstrate resilience. Through collaboration with industry, provinces and international partners, our government will continue to support initiatives that will help agricultural producers and agri-food processors operate under the best possible conditions to ensure food security for all Canadians." added Minister Bibeau.