Ottawa-There should be a renewed commitment to regulatory co-operation and transparency on regulatory collaboration when it comes to dealing with trade barriers, says the Canada–United States Regulatory Cooperation Council (RCC).

This conclusion was reached during a meeting between RCC co-chairs that highlighted the importance of a renewed commitment to regulatory cooperation. Existing work plans were reviewed to further strengthen joint efforts and new areas for collaboration were explored, such as reducing red tape for the agriculture sector and supporting advancements and innovation in transportation and auto manufacturing sectors.

Food, Health and Consumer Products of Canada said it was pleased that supply chain issues occupied a prominent place in the discussions and that both countries are committed to working together to use technology and regulatory agreement to facilitate border traffic.

Treasury Board President Anita Anand met recently with Shalanda Young, Director of the U.S. Office of Management and Budget and Canadian and American stakeholders to discuss progress on initiatives to improve regulatory co-operation.

The two countries have one of the world's most integrated supply chains and prosperous trade networks, they said. “This long-standing economic relationship is supported by a shared commitment to addressing trade barriers through regulatory cooperation, which makes compliance easier, provides improved market access for goods and services, and lowers costs for consumers.”

The RCC was established in 2011 to make cross-border trade easier through regulatory cooperation. Its objective is to increase economic competitiveness while maintaining high levels of protection for health, safety, security and the environment in both countries. Since its inception, the RCC has undertaken a number of initiatives to facilitate cross-border trade, making it easier for industry to conduct business in both jurisdictions and lowering costs for consumers.

Examples include aligned product testing methods on meat, making it easier for businesses to sell products in both countries; decreasing the costs to businesses and increasing the number of products available; simultaneous veterinary drug submissions to make the drug review and approval process more efficient by ensuring that companies only have to submit once so that products are brought to market sooner at a lower cost; aligned safety requirements for trains and train operators to enable greater efficiency for border crossing while maintaining high standards of safety and aligned positions at the international level on emerging vehicle technologies promoting cross-border supply chains, resulting in safe and cost-effective transportation while keeping pace with innovation and modern tools.

As the close relationship between Canada and the U.S. presents ongoing opportunities to address crucial regulatory challenges to make real progress in challenging economic times, Canadian and U.S. regulators will continue to explore using the RCC to make it easier to conduct business across the shared border while protecting the health, safety and security of Canadians and Americans.

This news item prepared for National Newswatch