加拿大高管希望簽署更多的貿易協定，以建立更廣泛的全球貿易。 ...

 一項最新調查結果顯示，加拿大絕大多數高管支持擴大國際貿易，包括與美國建立更加開放的貿易，以及與中國簽署自由貿易協定。
 
最新季度的C-Suite調查顯示，大多數受訪公司高管希望簽署更多的貿易協定，以建立更廣泛的全球貿易。
 
調查結果顯示，有87%的受訪者支持加拿大批准和執行跨太平洋夥伴關系協議(TPP)，有90%的受訪者表示希望與美國建立關稅聯盟，從而可以藉此減免所有關稅，同時大多數非關稅壁壘也會降低。此外，有76%的受訪者希望在未來十年擴大對墨西哥的貿易政策。
 
多倫多信息科技和服務公司Softchoice Corp.的首席執行官麥克唐納（David MacDonald）表示，該調查結果表明加拿大的商業變得更加國際化，其中一個原因就是加拿大的多元文化促使更多企業清楚地意識到參與全球貿易的價值。實際上加國所簽署的幾乎每一個貿易協定都會促進經濟活動，這一點至關重要。
 
調查同時發現，受訪高管對跨太平洋夥伴關系協議和加拿大-歐洲貿易協定的最終談判結果表示關注，有95%的受訪者表示如果這兩個協議談判失敗，將會對加拿大的經濟增長前景造成長期損害。
 
在被問及有關擴大與中國貿易的問題時，高管們也是激情高昂。有超過一半的受訪者認爲加中兩國目前的貿易關系過于受限，有78%的受訪者支持加國在未來五年內與中國談判簽訂自由貿易協定。
 
但是，在調查中也有一些人持謹慎態度。財富礦業公司（Fortune Minerals Ltd.）總裁兼首席執行官戈德（Robin Goad）就表示，他非常支持貿易協議，但中國的廉價勞動力可能會使得加國難以在自由貿易環境中與之競爭。他同時指出，中國市場並不是自由的市場，而是一個受控的市場，只要有公平的競爭環境，他一定會支持自由貿易，但是他認爲這種情況並不會發生。
 
Canpotex公司的主要業務是在包括中國在內的國際市場上推銷加拿大鉀肥，該公司首席執行官塞茲（Ken Seitz）表示他很理解這種擔憂，但他同時也表示中國正在大踏步地開放其市場，加國除了與其進行自由貿易談判別無選擇。
 
塞茲同時表示，自由貿易協定獲得加國商界領導人的廣泛支持並不出人意料，因爲公司高管普遍認爲降低貿易壁壘、開拓貿易和提高加國專業技術的競爭力是非常有益的事情。
 
雖然加拿大可能進一步開放貿易交易，但美國的貿易保護主義情緒似乎正在升溫，兩位美國總統候選人均對自由貿易表示了擔憂之情。
 
但是，C-Suite調查的大部分受訪者（64%）仍認爲美國下一任總統不太可能重新談判北美自由貿易協定(NAFTA)，有52%的受訪者認爲美國下一任總統不會阻止跨太平洋夥伴關系協議的批准。至于美國大選本身，有三分之二加國公司高管支持希拉裏•克林頓，有21%受訪者支持特朗普。
 
畢馬威會計事務所消費者市場全球主席克魯（Willy Kruh）表示，美國的貿易保護主義情緒只是對相對疲弱的的勞動力市場的不滿情緒所導致的“暫時現象”，是選舉年的政治言論，但是這也表明加國需要開發多元化的貿易關系，以減少對美國的依賴。
 
克魯表示，加國企業似乎比以往任何時候都更加致力于國際貿易令他感到欣喜，他希望加國的中小企業有朝一日能夠和大公司一樣登上全球貿易舞台。

Canadian executives overwhelmingly support expanded international trade deals, including more open commerce with the United States and a free-trade deal with China.

The latest quarterly C-Suite Survey of corporate leaders shows that a large majority now believe in broader global trade, and want more agreements to make that happen.

Eighty-seven per cent support Canada’s ratification and implementation of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), while ninety per cent said they would like to see a customs union with the United States, where all tariffs are removed and most non-tariff barriers dropped. Seventy-six per cent would like to see that kind of open arrangement expanded to include Mexico some time in the next decade.

These results show that “Canadian business has become more international by its very nature,” said David MacDonald, chief executive officer of Softchoice Corp., a Toronto-based information technology and services company. One reason for that, he said, is that Canada’s diversity has made business much more aware of the value of engaging in global commerce. “When you look at the tech sector, we have a lot of new Canadians participating in it and they have an international view.”

At the same time, Mr. MacDonald said, it has become clear to executives that freer trade is good for business. “The reality is that almost every trade treaty that Canada has signed has increased economic activity. It has become more and more obvious that [these deals] are critical.”

Indeed, the C-suite survey participants expressed concerns about what would happen if deals such as the TPP and the Canada-Europe trade agreement are not ratified. Ninety-five per cent of respondents said that if both agreements collapsed, it would damage Canadian growth prospects over the long term.

When it comes to broadening trade with China, executives are also enthusiastic. More than half of those surveyed see Canada’s current trade relationship with China as too restrictive, and 78 per cent would support a free-trade agreement with China if it were to be negotiated in the next five years.

There are some voices of caution, however. Robin Goad, CEO of Fortune Minerals Ltd., said he’s generally supportive of trade deals, but low labour rates in China could make it hard for Canadians to compete there in a free-trade environment. “The Chinese market is not a free market, it is a controlled market,” he said. “As long as there is a level playing field, I would support [free trade], but I don’t believe that would be the case.”

Ken Seitz, CEO of Canpotex Ltd., which sells Canadian potash in international markets including China, says he understands those kinds of concerns. But he also thinks China is making “great strides” to open up its markets, and sees no alternative to negotiating with the Chinese on free trade. “We have to make progress on this front and the only way to do that is to engage.”

Mr. Seitz said there are currently no barriers to Canadian exports of potash to China, but he thinks free trade would still help his company in subtle ways. “If there is increased trade between Canada and China as a result of a constructive free-trade discussions, that will benefit us in terms of our relationship and how the Chinese view Canada and Canadian potash.”

Mr. Seitz said it is no surprise there is such widespread support for free-trade deals of all kinds among Canada’s business leaders. “There is an overwhelming recognition [among executives] that bringing down trade barriers, exploiting trade and increasing the competitiveness of Canadian expertise are all really healthy things.”

While Canada may be increasingly open to trade deals, protectionist sentiment in the United States appears to be growing, with both presumptive presidential candidates expressing concerns about free-trade arrangements.

Still, a strong majority of C-Suite respondents (64 per cent) think it is unlikely that the next president of the United States will try to renegotiate the North American free-trade agreement (NAFTA) and 52 per cent don’t think they will block the ratification of TPP. As for the election itself, two-thirds of Canadian executives would prefer to see Hillary Clinton win and 21 per cent opt for Donald Trump. (Of Alberta-based executives, 27 per cent prefer Trump.)

Willy Kruh, global chair of consumer markets at KPMG and a long-time advocate of a more international outlook among Canadian business, said U.S. protectionism is a “temporary blip” that results from dissatisfaction with a relatively weak labour market. “I think this is political rhetoric in an election year,” he said, although it also shows that Canada needs to diversify its trade relationships to be less dependent on the United States, he added.

Over all, Mr. Kruh said he is pleasantly surprised that Canadian businesses appear to be more committed to international trade than ever, and he hopes that small and medium-sized firms will begin to play on the global stage along with some of our bigger companies.