Canada adopts joint statement on collaborating with other economies to mitigate broken supply chains

OTTAWA  — The U.S. Supply Chain Ministerial Forum and the Government of Canada have put out a join statement indicating that both countries and their partner economies must work to strengthen supply chains in the midst of ongoing conflicts, extreme climate changes and the pandemic.

“This is a global challenge we intend to approach resolutely and cooperatively,” the statement reads.

It also says that the economies of Australia, Brazil, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the European Union, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, Spain, the U.K. and the United States intend to work together to create a crisis response to help alleviate transportation, logistics, supply chain disruptions, bottlenecks and long-term resilience challenges.

As part of establishing this effort and helping to ensure a viable solution, the groups involved have stated they plan to work with businesses, workers, academia, labour and members of local communities as well as different levels of government to mitigate supply chain problems.

They have also said that they intend to collaborate with transparency by consulting with the private sector, civil society, different levels of government and other stakeholders.

“We intend to advance information sharing, and to the extent possible common approaches and early warning systems, about potential, emerging, and systematic supply challenges. We intend to undertake this cooperation consistent with Participants’ domestic laws and international obligations and with utmost care to protect non-public information, including information necessary for the protection of essential security interests,” reads the statement.