CME urges four-part national strategy to revitalize Canadian manufacturing sector

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Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters (CME) unveiled its platform for the 2021 federal election on Aug. 28, which outlines a national strategy to restore the position of Canada’s manufacturing sector.

“After a year and a half of the pandemic, this plan, which is based on four pillars – workforce, innovation, exports, and a net zero strategy – is a necessity to ensure the country’s self-sufficiency and to remain competitive,” the Ottawa-based association said.

COVID-19 has heavily impacted the manufacturing sector and has forced companies to quickly reinvent themselves to help fight the pandemic, CME said, but the pandemic crisis doesn’t explain all of the difficulties experienced by manufacturers – according to CME, the sector has been lagging for several years: with a slow decline in investment since the early 2000s and little growth in exports, the erosion of Canada’s industrial competitiveness has had a direct impact on manufacturers’ ability to respond to and recover from the crisis.

“Canadian manufacturers represent more than 91,000 businesses, 1.7 million employees, they generate more than $690 billion in annual sales, and are asking for government help to get back on their feet quickly,” CME said, in presenting a strategy founded on four pillars, with the importance of reducing the overall administrative burden on businesses in this country at its core:

• Get the workers that manufacturers and exporters need;
• Stimulate investment in innovation and advanced technologies;
• Increase Canadian exports; and
• Adopt an industrial net zero strategy.

Canadian manufacturers are ready to meet the challenges ahead, CME said, but they need the federal government to be “a true partner.”

“The manufacturing sector is critical to Canada. An industrial strategy must include specific and precise measures for our sector to invest in our manufacturing capacity. The time has come for the government to make a long-term commitment and finally support the recommendations of the industry,” said CME president and CEO Dennis Darby.