Federal government makes changes to Canadian Free Trade Agreement

OTTAWA — On Jul. 23, Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Public Safety, Democratic Institutions and Intergovernmental Affairs, announced that the Government of Canada is removing some barriers to help commerce move more freely within Canada.

The government is 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. In response to stakeholder feedback, 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.

As the government continues to work towards making further changes to the CFTA, they say they encourage all provinces and territories to similarly take steps to publicly share the rationales for any of their remaining exceptions.

“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,” says Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Public Safety, Democratic Institutions and Intergovernmental Affairs.