Issue link: http://clhia.uberflip.com/i/821274
11 6.0 Improved Metrics As Canada continues to expand its international trade footprint, it is crucial that it has access to strong, evidence-based data. Despite the fact that the services sector is a significant contributor to Canada's economy, a clear picture of how services are traded is lacking. For example, the value of services traded through foreign affiliates is not yet measurable while online sales and other methods of services delivery are often embedded in other statistics and therefore difficult to clearly extrapolate. The lack of data for the services sector makes the adoption of evidence-based policy more difficult. Canadian negotiators who are attempting to increase market access for Canadian firms must often rely on outdated information or anecdotal evidence. In order for Canada to adopt the best policies and to ensure the best outcome for Canadian firms during FTA negotiations strong metrics are required. The challenge associated with tracking international trade in services is not something that Canada experiences in isolation. The Organization for Economic Development (OECD), the World Trade Organization (WTO) and other international bodies have been developing new methodologies for the collection of international services trade data. The standardization of data collection globally is vital and Canada should continue to engage with these organizations and support these initiatives. Recommendation 5: The Canadian government should allocate sufficient resources to ensure that Statistics Canada is able to improve its collection of services sector metrics. Understanding the importance of a coherent international framework for services sector metrics, Canada should continue to work with its main trading partners as well as various international organizations to improve the collection of international trade data for the services sector generally and the financial services sector in particular.