/R E P E A T -- MEDIA ADVISORY - COMMITTEE ON INTERNAL TRADE MEETING FEBRUARY 28, 2025/

TORONTO, Feb. 27, 2025 /CNW/ - Media representatives are invited to a virtual press conference with members of the Committee on Internal Trade (CIT). Introductory comments will be provided by the Honourable Caitlin Cleveland, Minister of Industry, Tourism, and Investment for the Northwest Territories, in her role as Chair of the CIT for 2025. The Chair, along with other CIT Representatives from the federal, provincial, and territorial governments, will also be available to respond to questions from media representatives.

Date:

Friday, February 28, 2025

Time:

4:45 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. EST

Registration:

Media representatives who wish to attend the event virtually must register using the following Zoom link:

https://ca01web.zoom.us/meeting/register/RdYzTTVCSzuP0Pi0ZKvhLg

Quick Facts:

Canadian Free Trade Agreement

• The CFTA is a consensus-based agreement, that is overseen by the CIT, which is comprised of FPT Ministers responsible for internal trade.  The Northwest Territories is the 2025 Chair of the CIT.
• The CFTA establishes rules that apply across the Canadian economy and govern pan-Canadian trade. Rules apply automatically to all economic activity unless something is specifically excluded.
• Exclusions occur within the CFTA, such as through General Exceptions (Chapter 8), Party-Specific Exceptions (Annex 1, Annex 2, and Procurement), Legitimate Objectives, and Non-Application Exceptions (such as in Chapter 5).

Internal Trade

• Over $530 billion worth of goods and services moves across provincial and territorial borders every year—equal to 20 per cent of Canada's gross domestic product. In 2023, one-third of Canadian businesses participated in internal trade by buying or selling goods across provincial and territorial borders.
• In comparison, in 2023, Canada was the United States' largest trading partner, with more than $1.3 trillion worth of bilateral trade in goods and services.

Committee on Internal Trade & Recent Accomplishments

• The CIT is comprised of FPT ministers responsible for supervising the implementation of the CFTA, including oversight of a number of working groups established under the Agreement, assisting in the resolution of disputes, approving the annual operating budget of the Internal Trade Secretariat (ITS), and considering any other matter that may affect the operation of the CFTA.
• At the 2024 CIT meeting, FPT governments endorsed and launched the 2024-2027 Internal Trade Action Plan, which will further facilitate internal trade by:
  • Reducing regulatory burdens and cutting red tape to unlock new opportunities for trade between provinces and territories for businesses in Canada;
  • Increasing awareness and better communicating the strengths of Canada's internal trade environment to champion the Canadian economic advantage;
  • Enhancing our understanding of internal trade across Canada to help guide and prioritize government efforts to open doors for new trade opportunities; and
  • Strengthening government collaboration to enhance labour mobility and further facilitate the movement of qualified workers throughout Canada.
• Further, at the 2024 CIT meeting, participating federal, provincial and territorial governments (Canada, Ontario, Nova Scotia, Manitoba, Prince Edward Island, Saskatchewan, Alberta, Newfoundland and Labrador, British Columbia, New Brunswick, Northwest Territories, Yukon, and Nunavut) launched a new Mutual Recognition Pilot project in the Trucking Sector to explore where FPT governments could recognize one another's regulatory requirements while ensuring levels of safety are maintained or strengthened. As of today, Quebec has also joined.
• In September 2024, a new portal was launched on the CFTA website to increase engagement and communication with Canadian businesses engaged in internal trade.  The portal allows stakeholders to share information on internal trade that may be impacting themselves or their communities, as well as success stories enabled by the CFTA.

SOURCE Internal Trade Secretariat

Contacts: For more information (media only), please contact: Andrée Dupont, Internal Trade Officer, Internal Trade Secretariat, Phone: [phone], E-mail: [email protected]