North American leaders wrapped up a summit in Montebello, Que. Tuesday with an agreement to block imports of unsafe toys and a commitment to balancing border security and trade.
"We agreed to work together on consumer protection, we have to identify and stop unsafe goods from entering our countries, especially those designed for our children," Prime Minister Stephen Harper said Tuesday.
The announcement follows numerous safety scares from exports, including toothpaste and toys, coming out of China.
Harper, alongside U.S. President George Bush and Mexican President Felipe Calderon, said the leaders also discussed border security.
"Border security measures will not threaten the bonds of friendship or commerce between the U.S., Mexico and Canada," he said.
Crippling wait-times choked borders immediately after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, costing the North American economy billions of dollars. A new system would improve the flow of goods between borders during a crisis situation.
But Harper and Bush failed to reach a consensus on Arctic sovereignty. The U.S. president wouldn't budge from his position that the Northwest Passage is an international waterway, although his tone was at least conciliatory.
"The United States does not question Canada's sovereignty of Arctic islands, and the United States supports Canadian investments used to exercise its sovereignty," he said.
The leaders also discussed the need for practical solutions to environmental challenges, said Harper. Agreements were also reached on regulatory cooperation, pandemics, intellectual property and research and energy.
Following a breakfast meeting, the leaders met with the North American Competitiveness Council to discuss ways to advance trade and economic prosperity.
Tuesday also focused on the Security and Prosperity Partnership, aimed at increasing trade and security between Canada, the U.S. and Mexico.
Critics have attacked the SPP for being too secretive, with an unknown agenda that may include water exports and a possible NAFTA superhighway -- a notion that Harper mocked.
"A couple of my opposition leaders have speculated on massive water diversions and superhighways to the continent -- maybe interplanetary, I'm not sure, as well," said the prime minister, tongue firmly in cheek.
But NDP international trade critic Peter Julian claimed that the SPP has a more extensive agenda than the government wants to admit.
"The NDP was able to obtain a meeting summary -- through a freedom of information request -- from a meeting that was held last February with the SPP ministers," Julian told Â鶹´«Ã½net.
"Very clearly that document refers to a very deep agenda, a very wide-ranging agenda. And it's an agenda that has, front and centre, the objectives of the North American Competitiveness Council -- a group of about 30 un-appointed, unelected company CEOs, who are pushing forward the agendas of their companies."
The Liberal party helped forge the SPP partnership. But Liberal Leader Stephane Dion said the SPP was always meant to be fully transparent.
"We are supposed to have different groups working on it, not only CEOs," said Dion. "And they were supposed to report to the public of the United States, Mexico and Canada. That's not what has happened with Mr. Harper. There's a complete lack of transparency."
When Parliament resumes, the Liberals have vowed to table a resolution that would put the SPP under scrutiny in the House of Commons.
Few protesters showed up Tuesday following Monday's incidents, where hundreds of demonstrators were pushed back by police using tear gas and pepper spray.
The closing news conference was moved up to allow Calderon to return to Mexico as Hurricane Dean continues to pound the Yucatan Peninsula.
On Monday, Harper and Bush discussed trade relations between the two countries and touched on Canada's Arctic sovereignty. A White House official told The Canadian Press Bush has a better insight into the issue after meeting with Harper but that nonetheless, the U.S. view on the matter is the same -- Canada owns the Arctic islands, but does not have claim to the surrounding resource-rich waters.
With a report from CTV's Craig Oliver and files from The Canadian Press
