Québec Marine Transportation Policy - Transport - Gouvernement ...

ine
in a highly competitive environment
The shipping industry
supports several key
areas of the Québec
economy
The dynamism of the port-based activities of communities
can often be a good indicator of the economic health of a
region. As part of its plan to address regional development
as a top priority, Québec has put many different
measures in place to promote economic development. In
its March 29, 2001 budget, the gouvernement du Québec
set aside an additional $800 million to promote the
development of resource regions. The combined actions
of the government to develop Québec’s maritime industry will greatly benefit all the regions
along the Saint-Laurent.
1.1 The increase in international trade
The changes brought about by the technical revolution and
trade liberalization between an increasing number of nations
have shaken up the established economic order. Trade rules
and regulations are changing and production centres and
consumers are moving. Since the General Agreement on Tariffs
and Trade (GATT) was signed in the middle of the 20th century,
many more agreements designed to further liberalize world
trade have been entered into. Today the word “globalisation”
can be heard everywhere and there is general agreement
among the 132 members of the World Trade Organization
(WTO) to continue in this direction. There are numerous bilateral
or multilateral agreements in place throughout the world.
The emergence of several developing countries also promotes an
increase in international trade.
In North America, the Free Trade Agreement with the United States (FTA) in 1989 and with the
addition of Mexico in 1994 (NAFTA) also helped promote trade at the continental level. The
Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA), expected to come into effect in 2005, will speed up
the process even more.
Québec cannot
ignore this trend toward
globalisation
Québec cannot ignore this trend toward globalisation and
the economic initiatives undertaken since the nineties have
been steps in the right direction. Québec’s economy, traditionally
based on natural resources, has now shifted toward
service industries. The aerospace industry, biotechnology
and information technology are among the most successful
new sectors of the Québec economy
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