Relax trade barriers and reap rewards, Prentice tells Americans

By: Steve Rennie, THE CANADIAN PRESS OTTAWA - Industry Minister Jim Prentice touted Canada's "stable" supply of oil and gas to an audience of American politicians and heads of industry Monday as he called for a relaxing of barriers that hinder cross-border trade. Speaking at the Americas Competitiveness Forum in Atlanta, Ga., Prentice said freer trade is vital to economic prosperity in the Western Hemisphere. Otherwise, he warned, there's a risk the Americas will be left out while others prosper. "We need to make trade logistics and border infrastructure a priority in the short term or lose opportunities to other global competitors who are better organized to facilitate trade," he said. Prentice echoed the findings of a Canadian government-appointed panel of experts which released a major report in June calling for, in part,... [read full story]