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Photo: iStock / jokuephotography
Canada's industry minister is calling for a review of the country's business dealings with Amazon, after the company announced that it would be closing all seven of its warehouses and delivery hubs in Quebec.
Amazon made its plans known on January 22, pointing to a need to cut costs by cutting more than 1,700 jobs across the province, and outsourcing its operations to third-party contractors. The next day, Ministry of Industry François-Philippe Champagne sent a letter to the company expressing his "strong disappointment" with the decision, adding that the move "raises questions" about Amazon's commitment to Canada.
"Such large and sudden layoffs are cause for concern," he continued. "You will undoubtedly understand that such action calls for a review of the business relationship that exists between Amazon and the Government of Canada."
According to a report from The Wall Street Journal, Amazon has since expressed a willingness to engage in talks, although it's unclear whether the company would be willing to rethink its plans to scale back its operations in Quebec. The company's cloud computing arm Amazon Web Services currently has at least 47 contracts, worth more than $10,000 each, with Canada's departments of National Defence, Natural Resources, Border Services and more. Speaking to CTV, Champagne did not specify what exactly a review of those contracts might look like, stating only that the hope is to encourage Amazon to reconsider.
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