11 November 2014 – Ottawa's business, trade and diplomatic community came together on October 30 at the elite Rideau Club in the Canadian capital for the McDonald-Laurier Institute breakfast forum to discuss new prospects for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). The event was an opportunity to hear from top experts on some of Canada's most important trade opportunities.

With TPP negotiations continuing in Australia, New Zealand High Commissioner Simon Tucker told a packed hall at the Rideau Club that he could sense that "momentum has tipped upward." He continued to say that the "TPP will grow over time, and Canada's trade opportunities will grow with it."

The group then discussed what will come after negotiations conclude with the original 12 member countries, including prospects for South Korea, the Philippines and Taiwan.

Trade expert and Macdonald-Laurier Institute Senior Fellow Laura Dawson reported on some of the findings of her new paper, Finding the Hidden Dragon, on increasing opportunities for trade with Taiwan, and the prospects for Taiwan joining TPP negotiations in the future.

Carleton business professor Ian Lee declared that "Europe is Canada's past, America is Canada's present, Asia is Canada's future."

Philippine Minister and Consul General Eric Tamayo indicated that the Philippines has made the decision to join the TPP and a roadmap has been defined towards participation, noting inherent challenges “to the quality of trade that is being sought, or the standards demanded, under the TPP.” Mr. Tamayo drew attention to the efforts by the government in “implementing changes where it can, in easing trade and investment flows.”

The event was moderated by MLI Managing Director Brian Lee Crowley and introductory remarks were made by Dean Allison, Member of Parliament and Chair of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development, and Bruce Linghu, Special Representative of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Canada. The forum was organized in cooperation with Dawson Strategic and the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Ottawa. END