OTTAWA,
ON, July 23, 2024 /CNW/ - Today, the
Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Public Safety, Democratic
Institutions and Intergovernmental Affairs, announced that the
Government of Canada is removing
barriers to help commerce move more freely within Canada.
Trade within Canada is a key
piece of our economy. It drives commerce, creates jobs, facilitates
business expansion and gives Canadians more choice. This is why we
are taking action and leadership by addressing long-standing
internal trade barriers, and removing or narrowing one-third of all
federal exceptions under the Canadian Free Trade Agreement
(CFTA).
Business community leaders, such as the Canadian Chamber of
Commerce, the Business Council of Canada and the Canadian Federation of
Independent Business, note that reducing the number of exceptions
in the CFTA will help strengthen internal trade and support the
productivity of Canada's economy.
We have heard from stakeholders and in response, the Government of
Canada has removed or narrowed 17,
or one third, of its federal exceptions in the CFTA. Most of the
exceptions removed relate to federal government procurement,
providing Canadian businesses with more opportunities to be
competitive across the country.
Already, the Government of Canada has shown leadership in strengthening
internal trade through the implementation of key measures,
including the launch of the Canadian Internal Trade Data and
Information Hub, engagement with stakeholders and industry, and
work with provinces and territories to advance regulatory and
internal trade cooperative efforts to eliminate barriers.
These efforts were recognized in the annual Canadian Federation
of Independent Business (CFIB) State of Internal Trade:
Canada's Interprovincial
Cooperation Report Card. The report grades federal, provincial
and territorial governments' efforts to address interprovincial
trade barriers. This year, the Government of Canada received a significantly improved
rating of "B", the third highest rating of all federal, provincial
and territorial governments.
As the government continues to work towards making further
changes to the CFTA, even though the actions taken today have
removed the most significant barriers to success for businesses, we
encourage all provinces and territories to similarly take steps to
publicly share the rationales for any of their remaining
exceptions.
The Government of Canada will
continue to build on these successes and collaborate with provinces
and territories to accelerate efforts to advance internal trade
across the country. This includes developing a comprehensive
Federal Framework on Mutual Recognition, which will help us bring
provinces and territories to the table with the goal of cutting red
tape and allowing goods and services to move freely across the
country. This includes moving towards full labour mobility in the
construction, health, and childcare sectors. Canada's economy will best succeed when all
orders of government are working towards a common goal.
Quotes
"The further removal of exceptions under the Canadian Free Trade
Agreement reflects our government's commitment to listen to
industry and help Canadian businesses get their incredible products
to more consumers. We will keep taking action within our areas of
jurisdiction to strengthen our supply chains, grow the economy, and
make life more affordable for all Canadians, while encouraging our
provincial and territorial partners to do the same."
— The Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Public
Safety, Democratic Institutions and Intergovernmental Affairs
Quick Facts
- Over $500 billion worth of goods
and services moves across provincial and territorial borders every
year—equal to almost 19% of Canada's gross domestic product. Last year,
one-third of Canadian businesses participated in internal trade by
buying or selling goods across provincial and territorial
borders.
- The Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA) came into force on
July 1, 2017, to reduce and eliminate
barriers to the free movement of persons, goods, services, and
investments within Canada and to
establish an open efficient, and stable domestic market.
- Under the CFTA, the Government of Canada has taken exceptions to ensure it can
uphold Canadian interests such as national security, national
economic and social policy, international trade obligations, or its
responsibility to support regional interests.
- The CFTA seeks to establish an open, efficient, and stable
domestic market. The CFTA exceptions are portions of the agreement
that can be taken by federal, provincial or territorial
governments, to exclude an industry, sector, or legislation from
the agreement. Canadian business and industry have expressed that
these exceptions can hinder free trade by allowing for inconsistent
rules, standards, and licensing requirements for goods, investments
and services. Leaders, such as the Canadian Chamber of Commerce,
the Business Council of Canada and
the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, note that reducing
the number of exceptions in the CFTA will help strengthen internal
trade and support the productivity of Canada's economy.
- The remaining exceptions are required in order to uphold
Canadian interests, such as national security, international trade
obligations, regional interests and national social and economic
policy. The rationales for remaining federal exceptions are being
published on the Government of Canada's Internal Trade website.
Associated Links
- Internal Trade
- Federal Action Plan to Strengthen Internal Trade
Stay Connected
https://www.canada.ca/en/intergovernmental-affairs.html
SOURCE Minister of Public Safety, Democratic Institutions and
Intergovernmental Affairs