Canada Seen as ‘Well-Meaning but Unserious Player’ on World Stage: Chamber of Commerce CEO

Perrin Beatty, president and CEO of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce and former defence minister, speaks during a news conference held by the Canadian Travel and Tourism Roundtable at the Ottawa Airport in Ottawa, on June 14, 2021. Justin Tang/The Canadian Press

The CEO of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce has written an open letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau calling for a change to Canada’s foreign policy, which he says has diminished the country’s international reputation.

Perrin Beatty wrote the letter on Dec. 29, 2023, which was published on the Chamber’s website, and calls for a “sober assessment of Canada’s place in the world.”

The letter says that Canada’s foreign policy recently has been “reactive and unfocused.”

“We have too often concentrated our efforts on policies designed to produce good feelings instead of on those that will produce good results,” Mr. Beatty wrote.

He said the world has changed quickly over the past few years, citing wars in Europe and the Middle East, polarization, and supply chain vulnerabilities, something Canada needs to adjust to.

“These factors are contributing to the tectonic shifts underway in the practice of international relations,” he said.

“This moment calls for a sober assessment of our international priorities and a recalibration of how we engage with other nations.”

A spokesperson for Global Affairs Canada said it was implementing “a multi-year organizational transformation” to the global challenges.

“We will continue to stand for Canadian values and advocate for the rules-based international system at every opportunity,” spokesperson Geneviève Tremblay said in an email to the Epoch Times.

Ms. Trembly said Canada was also looking at opportunities in 2024 for “the further advancement of trade and economic initiatives.”

These include trade missions to Malaysia, Vietnam, and South Korea.

‘Unleash Our Trading Potential’

In the letter, Mr. Beatty mentioned his recent experience travelling through the Indo-Pacific region, saying Canada is being seen as an “unserious” player in global affairs.

“My discussions with officials and local business leaders indicated that Canada is increasingly being viewed by our partners in the region as a well-meaning but unserious player on the international stage.”

To counter Canada’s diminishing reputation, Mr. Beatty wrote that the country must “unleash our trading potential.”

“Our international partners are increasingly aware of Canada’s potential to contribute to food and energy security, while also making a major contribution to fighting climate change,” he said.

Mr. Beatty said that Canada should be prepared to meet global demand for products in the energy, minerals, and agriculture sectors.

“We must also prioritize trade-enabling infrastructure, including LNG [Liquid Natural Gas] facilities that will be integral for supplying Canadian energy to the Indo-Pacific and Europe. We need to address these challenges and opportunities with a renewed sense of urgency.”

He said the government’s current “go-it-alone” approach, such as on the digital service tax, harms international relationships.

Ottawa pushed ahead on a Canadian digital service tax on web giants, while the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and the United States were working on a global plan that would see the tax applied fairly around the world.

The tax is a 3 percent levy aimed at foreign companies, including U.S. organizations that receive revenue from Canadian subscribers and contributors.

Call to Boost Ties With Washington

Mr. Beatty also wrote that Canada needs to prioritize achieving the NATO target of investing 2 percent of GDP into the military.

Statistics show that Ottawa spent about 1.24 percent of its GDP on the military in 2022.

Canada also needs to boost ties with Washington, he said.

“Any company that did two-thirds of its business with one customer would spare no effort to maintain and strengthen that relationship. The same principle should apply for Canada’s dealings with our southern neighbour.”

He said that the United States has started to see Canada less as a strategic partner, and more as a transactional one, which could pose a problem in 2026 when the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) is to be renewed.

“Canada should be preparing the ground now through a coordinated outreach campaign by all levels of government and the private sector to demonstrate to America’s citizens why a healthy relationship with Canada is important to them. It would be a terrible mistake to think that we can wait until 2025 to ensure that CUSMA is preserved.”

As Canada is posed to take over the G7 presidency in a year, Mr. Beatty said it’s time to start getting its foreign policy straight now.

“This will be an opportunity for Canada to demonstrate international leadership and help set the global agenda. As we head into the New Year, it is important that our foreign policy be based on a clear-eyed understanding of the challenges we face and of our strategic international interests.”

Mr. Beatty said that Canada’s business community “recognizes that our collective long-term prosperity is closely tied to how we engage with the world.”

Matthew Horwood contributed to this report.