Canadian Chamber of Commerce launches New Report & Local Infrastructure Advocacy: Investments in Trade Infrastructure Are Necessary to Maintain Canada’s Competitiveness in Global Markets

· by Huzaifa Saeed

Today, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce released a report that advocates the need to invest in trade-enabling infrastructure in order to maintain our competitiveness in global markets. In The Infrastructure that Matters Most, which was produced in cooperation with the Canada West Foundation, the CCC makes five recommendations to the federal government:

  1. Make trade infrastructure an equal priority in the $120-billion Federal Infrastructure Plan
  2. Make trade infrastructure investment decisions using merit-based criteria
  3. Renew the federal commitment to Canada’s trade corridors
  4. Partner with industry to develop a national trade infrastructure committee
  5. Consider the proposed federal infrastructure bank to enhance trade infrastructure investment

For our export-based economy, trade-enabling infrastructure is the category of infrastructure that has the strongest connection to our long-term global competitiveness and economic well-being. Canada is in the process of finalizing key trade agreements with Europe and with countries in Asia. For these trade agreements to be most beneficial for Canada, we have to be able to take full advantage of them, and that means getting our goods and services to market by land, air and sea as efficiently as possible.

Read The Infrastructure that Matters Most.

If you have any questions about the report, please contact Ryan Greer, Director, Transportation and Infrastructure Policy, Canadian Chamber of Commerce.


The Hamilton Chamber of Commerce is strongly supportive of the recommendations of the new report. Our Chamber has taken a leadership role over the past few years on infrastructure issues through multiple successful policy resolution submissions to the membership.

Today, we were also invited by local MPs Bob Bratina and Filomena Tassi for a consultation on Phase 2 Infrastructure project funding plans for the Federal Government. You can view the draft recommendations we discussed with them here: CLICK HERE

We will continue advocating on our behalf of our members to attract infrastructure investments that facilitate goods and people movement in the Hamilton – Burlington Bay Area.

For more information on Hamilton Chamber’s position, please contact: Huzaifa Saeed | Policy & Research Analyst | Hamilton Chamber of Commerce | e: h.saeed@hamiltonchamber.ca | t: 905-522-1151 ext: 230