The Canadian Manufacturing Coalition (CMC), a group of Canada’s leading manufacturing sector associations including the CHPTA and chaired by Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters (CME), have called on the federal government to support the manufacturing industry in their upcoming Budget 2023 with measures that will help attract and train workers, support investment, and accelerate their transition to net zero production.
In addition to implementing a comprehensive industrial strategy for Canada, the members of the Canadian Manufacturing Coalition have outlined four priorities they want addressed in the March 28 budget.
These include:
- Support industry by attracting the workers and skills it needs through increased and targeted immigration and enhanced training supports;
- Drive innovation, investment and the adoption of advanced technologies and automation;
- Increase domestic manufacturing production and exports;
- Help manufacturers adapt to and advance Canada’s climate change plan;
In a letter to the federal government, the CMC noted that the industry is under pressure because of chronic labour shortages, “Buy American” protectionism, declining investment, weak export performance, competition from the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act, and massive costs associated with net-zero transition.
“Canadian manufacturers need urgent action on all these fronts to combat the threats posed to their competitiveness,” said CMC Chair Dennis Darby, President and CEO of Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters, in a press release. “Investing in our sector will not only enable our manufacturers to overcome these challenges, but to thrive, and to continue to play the important economic role they have always played.”
- The Canadian Manufacturing Coalition is composed of over 30 manufacturing sector trade associations and combined represents all 90,000 manufacturing companies across Canada.
- The manufacturing sector accounts for nearly 10% of Canada’s real domestic product and 2/3 of Canada’s goods exports.
- Manufacturers employ 1.7 million people in Canada.
- Total manufacturing sales hit a record high of $718.4 billion in 2021.
