Ottawa, ON - The Honourable Tony Clement, Minister of Industry, announced today that the Government of Canada will conduct a study on Canada’s medium and heavy duty truck manufacturing sector.

“The initiative will provide the federal government with analysis of the Canadian truck manufacturing sector and its suppliers by highlighting the industry’s strengths, weaknesses, and capacity,” said Minister Clement. “Going forward, this information will support Industry Canada’s work related to transportation manufacturing industries in this country.”

Member of Parliament for Chatham-Kent Essex, Dave Van Kesteren was pleased to hear that the federal government will be undertaking this study. It was the local M.P. who first brought forward the idea to the government on a comprehensive study examining truck manufacturing in Canada. “My hope is that the study focuses on moving forward,” said Van Kesteren. “What does truck manufacturing look like now, and how can we position ourselves to be a leader once again in this industry?”
The study will provide valuable insight into the sector and its key suppliers, particularly in terms of output and employment. The information gathered in this study is also expected to provide benchmarks to identify and track trends in the industry over time. The report is expected to be delivered to the Government of Canada in the spring of 2011.