July 5, 2023

The Right Honourable Justin Trudeau, P.C., M.P.

Prime Minister of Canada

80 Wellington Street

Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0A3

Sent by email: pm@pm.gc.ca

Dear Prime Minister:

On behalf of the Canadian business community, we are writing to express our deep concern regarding the labour dispute at Canada’s West Coast ports.

As associations, local chambers of commerce and boards of trade, whose members employ millions of Canadians, we are calling on the Government to reconvene Parliament and pass back-to-work legislation, immediately.

The shutdown of our ports will fuel inflation, increase costs for businesses and consumers, and damage the Canadian economy. It will severely reduce the ability of our exporting industries to move their products to market, making it much more difficult to secure the global contracts that drive investment and employ Canadians.

Approximately 25 percent of our total traded goods flow through the ports in Western Canada. They are Canada’s largest gateway, handling over $800 million worth of cargo, from agri-foods and potash to critical minerals, forestry, construction materials and household necessities, every single day. As a result of Canada’s heavy reliance on trade, the smooth delivery of goods is in the national public interest making the impact of this dispute far more profound than that of most other more isolated labour disruptions.

To position Canada as a reliable trading partner that is competitive in the global economy, businesses must be able to reliably and efficiently get goods to and from market. Canadians expect our elected officials to ensure that this labour dispute is resolved quickly.

Sincerely,

Abbotsford Chamber of Commerce

Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Institute of Canada

Ajax-Pickering Board of Trade

Independent Contractors and Businesses Association

Alberta Chambers of Commerce

Innovative Medicines Canada

Assiniboia Chamber of Commerce (Manitoba)

Jasper Park Chamber of Commerce

Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers

Kamloops & District Chamber of Commerce

Barriere & Area Chamber of Commerce

Kelowna Chamber of Commerce

BC Chamber of Commerce

King Chamber of Commerce

BC Chamber of Shipping

Leamington District Chamber of Commerce

BC Council of Forest Industries

Lethbridge Chamber of Commerce

Beaumont Chamber of Commerce

Life Sciences BC

Brampton Board of Trade

London Chamber of Commerce

Electro-Federation Canada

Smithers District Chamber of Commerce

Fédération des chambres de commerce du Québec (FCCQ)

South Surrey & White Rock Chamber of Commerce

Fertilizer Canada

Southern Interior Construction Association

FETCO

St. Albert and District Chamber Of Commerce

Food Producers of Canada

St. Andrews Chamber of Commerce

Food, Health & Consumer Products of Canada

Surrey Board of Trade

Freight Management Association of Canada

Sylvan Lake Chamber of Commerce

Global Automakers of Canada

The Chamber of Commerce for Greater Moncton

Grande Prairie & District Chamber of Commerce

Tillsonburg District Chamber of Commerce

Greater Kitchener Waterloo Chamber of Commerce

Toronto Region Board of Trade

Greater Langley Chamber of Commerce

Tri-Cities Chamber of Commerce

Greater Saskatoon Chamber of Commerce

Vancouver Island Construction Association

Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce

Vancouver Regional Construction Association

Greater Vancouver Board of Trade

Vermilion & District Chamber of Commerce

Greater Vernon Chamber of Commerce

Western Canadian Shippers’ Coalition

Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce

Western Retail Lumber Association

Halifax Chamber of Commerce

Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce

Halton Hills Chamber of Commerce

Woodstock Chamber of Commerce

Yarmouth & Area Chamber of Commerce

Yorkton Chamber of Commerce