Trudeau uses COVID-19 gnarled supply chains in free trade pitch to ASEAN countries

Speaking in a pre-recorded message, Trudeau argued that an agreement would help companies and entrepreneurs build connections and business relationships around the world.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau used the spectre of gnarled global supply chains in a bid Sunday to a bloc of Southeast Asian nations to win them over on a free trade deal.

Trudeau has long sought a trade deal with the 10-nation bloc, which includes the Philippines, Indonesia, Brunei, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Burma.

He told a virtual business summit organized by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations that a free trade agreement with Canada would be a “win-win” for all sides, particularly coming out of the pandemic.

Speaking in a pre-recorded message, Trudeau argued that an agreement with ASEAN would help companies and entrepreneurs build connections and business relationships around the world.

He also said a pact would give investors more confidence to invest in international markets, and protect supply chains from the uncertainties brought by COVID-19.

Trade bottlenecks across the globe have been slower to recover than consumer demand for goods, and slowed further by ongoing COVID-19 outbreaks and public health measures.

All this affects inventories of in-demand consumer products or the delivery of parts needed to build things like cars, and pushes up transportation costs that get passed on to consumers, which is reflected in higher inflation rates.

“As we finish the fight against COVID-19, deepening our ties with ASEAN economies and diversifying trade across the Asia-Pacific will play a crucial role in our recovery,” Trudeau said in his address.