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Dear partners:
I am writing to you as strategic partners in delivering transportation services to Canadians. As Canada continues to face a challenging trade reality, we need to work together to strengthen our economic resilience and move toward One Canadian Economy.
As transportation entities are key economic enablers, I want to emphasize the importance of maximizing economic benefits for Canadian industries in your day‑to-day business. This includes prioritizing Canadian materials when undertaking infrastructure investments, including procurement processes. Given the current economic climate, I am certain you understand the value in providing economic benefits for all Canadian industries where possible.
To that end, I encourage you to use Canadian steel, aluminum, lumber, and any other domestically available products to the extent reasonably possible. Your operational expenditures, including technology investments, and infrastructure developments, should help support Canadian workers, businesses, and sustainable economic growth. Where you cannot buy Canadian, we should pursue a policy of reciprocal procurement, buying from reliable trading partners who open their procurements to Canadian companies. Accordingly, I encourage you to prioritize Canada’s reliable trade partners when making procurement decisions. All of this would, of course, be subject to any applicable legal obligations.
I would also like to underscore the importance of incorporating national security concerns in your procurement decisions. Canada is exposed to threats from a variety of actors, and a rigorous assessment of national security elements in your decision-making is essential to protect Canada’s economic security and national interests.
I ask that you consider this in your infrastructure development projects (ongoing and future), and I look forward to hearing from you about your infrastructure plans as they progress, given their importance to our national transportation system.
Yours sincerely,
The Honourable Chrystia Freeland, P.C., M.P.
Minister of Transport and Internal Trade