By Canadian Press

Canada is losing ground and falling behind U.S. on trade with Africa, senators say

Dec 15, 2022 | 1:42 PM

OTTAWA — Senators are warning Trade Minister Mary Ng that Ottawa may be falling behind its peers in establishing deeper trade ties with Africa.

The Senate foreign-affairs committee has been studying for months whether Global Affairs Canada is responding to the country’s diplomatic needs.

Ng took senators’ questions, which ranged from how Canada will form deeper ties in the Indo-Pacific to whether diplomats are doing enough to leverage the knowledge of Canadians living abroad.

They also expressed concerns to Ng that the U.S. has done more to start trade talks with an African group that spans most of the continent.

The ethics commissioner found on Wednesday that Ng had broken the Conflict of Interest Act when she did not recuse herself from a contract her office awarded to the firm of one of her friends.

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Senators did not question Ng about the ruling and instead stuck to the topic of foreign affairs.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 15, 2022.

Dylan Robertson, The Canadian Press