Thank you very much, Madam Chair.
Thank you to the presenters for the presentation. Thanks for your hard work. I know that you've been working extremely hard, like many of our great civil servants who have really stepped up to the plate during COVID-19. I want to recognize that. The roles that you're connecting everyone into in acting as that facilitator of trade during these times have really been critical in connecting the government to small and medium-sized enterprises, to the large auto sector, etc.
I represent Sault Ste. Marie. As many people on this trade committee know, I represent the second-largest steel-producing area in Canada, which plays a very important role in a lot of supply chains: the oil and gas industry, the auto industry and just manufacturing in general. I would like to zero in on the auto sector in particular, because we've seen it close because of COVID and we've seen it open up.
From your perspective, where are we now and where are the areas that we might want to concentrate on to continue to support the auto sector as it relates to trade and those important supply chains? The steel that's made in Sault Ste. Marie is made with coal and iron ore from the United States. It's getting put on those trucks, ships and rail lines, coming up here and being made into steel, and then being put back on trucks. Sixty per cent of Algoma Steel's exports go to the United States. They head back across that border.
Can I get your comments on that, please, particularly on the trucking industry and on going across the border as well? Thank you.