Bay of Quinte MP Ryan Williams has been appointed by Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre as Shadow Minister of International Trade.
The responsibility will be added to his current role as Shadow Minister for Pan-Canadian Trade and Competition.
In a press release, Williams says he will be prioritizing fair trade deals to help bring jobs back to Canada.
“Locally, we have manufacturing jobs that are threatened by the unfair trading practices of China. The recent Goodyear announcement in Napanee, as well as over $50 billion in federal government subsidies this year, highlight this issue,” Williams says in the release.
“If cheap EVs from China flood into Canada, those jobs will disappear, and the current government seems oblivious to this fact.”
Williams continued, regarding the trade deal between Canada and China.
“China has a massive trade deficit with Canada, and we’re getting a bad deal. Canadian workers and industries deserve a competitive advantage,” Williams said.
“When we place a Canadian flag on a product, like Hawkins Cheezies or our cheese, tires, and natural gas, we know it’s a quality product we can sell worldwide. We need someone who can promote the great products made in Canada to create well-paying jobs here.”
Williams was also critical of the government’s ability to open up new markets for Canadian producers.
“The government recently failed to finalize a trade agreement with the U.K. and only succeeded with the EU deal due to groundwork laid by the previous Conservative government,” Williams said.
