No written guarantee on EU vaccine shipments, says international trade minister

Minister of International Trade Mary Ng saidshe has received assurances that export controls on vaccines introduced by the European Unionwill not affect Canada's COVID-19 vaccine orders.

Testifying at the House of Commons trade committee Monday,Ng said the governmentreceived verbalassurances inphone conversations with EU officials that Canada's shipments will notbe disrupted.

Opposition MPsasked Ng why the government hadnot secureda more formal, written guarantee fromthe EU.

Ng said she spoke with EU Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis, while Prime Minister Justin Trudeau discussed the issue withEuropean Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

"I reiterated that Canada has advanced purchase agreements with vaccine manufacturers in Europe, and we expect that those agreements be respected," Ng said.

"Vice-President Dombrovskis provided strong reassurances that this mechanism will not delay vaccine shipments to Canada, and we both committed to continue to work together, as we have since the beginning of the pandemic."

On Jan.29, the European Commission introduced new export controls for the 27-member bloc, which requiresmemberstates to get authorization before they can export vaccine doses out of the EU.

The export controlshave raised concerns that Canada's advance purchase agreements may not be honoured, which would threaten the supply of vaccines coming into the country. Canada is not on a list of countries exempted from the controls.

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NDP MP probes international trade minister on European Union's new export rules

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Duration 4:48

Minister Mary Ng addresses Daniel Blaikie's questions about how the European Union's new export rules on COVID-19 vaccines are impacting Canada's supply.

While Ng said Canada would prefer to geton that list, she did not elaborate on a pathway to do so. She repeatedly brought up that other countries such as the United States and Australia arealso not exempt.

Ng saidshe spoke with the Deputy Prime Minister of Belgium Sunday, Sophie Wilms, who gave similar assurances that Canada's advanced purchase agreements would be honoured. ThePfizer vaccines Canada has ordered are beingmanufactured at afacility in Puurs, Belgium.

Conservative MPZiadAboultaifsaid the government should have pushed for a written guarantee.

"There's a term here if it's not in writing, [it] never happened. Do you agree?" Aboultaifasked.

Ng responded that she was confident in the assurances she had received.

"What I would say is that assurances by a vice-president and commissioner of the European Union, as well as the European Union president,to a prime minister, is a ... good thing," Ng said.

Few legal options, expert says

Assistant deputy minister for trade policy and negotiations at Global Affairs Canada, Steve Verheul told the committee that Canada does not have many mechanisms to challenge the new controls through CETA, the country's free trade agreement with the European Union.

"On those particular [export control] measures, the EU is probably on solid ground," he said.

WATCH|Trade negotiator says Canada not yet readyto resort toretaliatory measures against EU:

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Duration 2:16

Steve Verheul spoke with B.C. Liberal MP Randeep Sarai at the Commons International Trade committee on Monday.

Verheulalso said officials are looking more closely at whether the exemption to the controls for certain countries was discriminatory, and saidthe issue may come up at the World Trade Organization.

Ng said that the federal government wouldfight against protectionism, and continue to work with the European Union.