Chamber of Commerce heads from U.S., Mexico, Canada to meet in support of NAFTA renewal

Leaders of 27 metropolitan Chambers of Commerce from Canada, the U.S. and Mexico will gather in Montreal on Monday to send a strong message that they are collectively united in favour of the North American Free Trade Agreement.

"As representatives of the business community and Canada, Mexico and the U.S.,we think it's important that all governments from Canada, the U.S. and Mexico understand that we are in support of NAFTA and that we share a common desire to maintain free trade between us," Zoe Addington, Calgary Chamber's director of policy, told CBC News.

• Calgary businessman fed up by U.S. politics urges others to buy Canadian

The meeting, which is an initiative of the Canadian Global Cities Council, will see eight Canadian, eleven American and eight Mexican chambers in attendance collectively representing economic zones worth more than $1.4 trillion US.

"NAFTAis an exceptionally good deal for all three countries," said Addington.

"NAFTA has created economic ties between Canada, the U.S. and Mexico that have quadrupled trade, have increased investment and increased jobs."

Majority of Alberta's exports go to U.S., Mexico

The trade agreement adds up to over $1.5 trillion US annually, and that 14 million jobs in the U.S., two million in Canada and three million in Mexico depend on trade between the three countries, said Addington.

In Canada, Alberta is the second-most dependent province on NAFTA in 2015, 88 per cent of exports from the province went to either the U.S. or Mexico.

New Brunswick and Ontario would also likely be hit hard if the deal were to crumble.

• Small businesses need to be prepared for possible end of NAFTA, says analyst

Rumours have swirled about the possibility the upcoming round of talks in Montreal (set to run from Jan. 23 to 29) could signal the collapse of the free trade agreement.

ButAddington said worried onlookers should consider the talks as an "opportunity to modernize a 23-year-old agreement."

"There are still positives to the renegotiation as long as there is still an agreement at the end," she said.

Leaders of the Chambers of Commerce from the following cities are set to attend Monday's meeting:Winnipeg, Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal, Halifax, Edmonton, Calgary, Brampton, St-Louis, San Antonio, Minneapolis, Los Angeles, Kansas City, Detroit, Dallas, Cleveland, Charlotte, Boston, Albany, Veracruz, Toluca, Tijuana, Quertaro, Monterrey, Mexico City, Mrida and Chihuahua.

• MORE CALGARY NEWS |Calgary investor says switch from oil to cannabis put his portfolio in the green
• MORE CALGARY NEWS |Calgary' failed Amazon bid shows province must step up, post-secondary schools say