November 23, 2005 (38th Parliament, 1st Session)

Hon. Jacques Saada (Minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec and Minister responsible for the Francophonie, Lib.)

Mr. Speaker, on October 28, 2005, the Government of Canada announced the elimination of the 14% customs tariff on imported fabrics. That measure is retroactive to January 1, 2005. It will save Canadian manufacturers in the order of $29 million annually. This is in addition to the program for Canadian textiles, through which 173 projects have been approved in Quebec, for a total of $10.3 million. It is also in addition to CANtex, which has allocated $26.7 million nationally since October 13, 2004, $14.6 million of that in Quebec. In Quebec alone, 43 projects were approved for a total of $3.2 million.