On Jan. 31, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau paid a visit to Vêtements Peerless Clothing Inc.’s factory in Montreal to discuss the benefits of the “new NAFTA” for workers and the economy. 

Trudeau’s visit began with a factory walk-through, where he was immediately swarmed by enthusiastic employees and local industry leaders. He met and spoke personally with many employees throughout his visit. Later he held an on-site news conference, which is available to view via CPAC. 

With over 1,400 employees, Peerless is the largest suit manufacturer in North America. As 90 percent of Peerless’ exports go to the States, the company depends heavily on access to the U.S. market. In 2019, Peerless celebrated 100 years in business.

The new United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) was finalized in December 2019. Now that outstanding demands from the U.S. House of Representatives regarding environmental and labor protections, ratification of the agreement will likely move forward relatively quickly. The bill to ratify the agreement is currently being debated in Parliament.