Canadian Chamber Urges Premiers to Drop CFTA Exceptions

OTTAWA, ON – November 14, 2019 – The Canadian Chamber of Commerce issued the following statement today regarding the release of the Internal Trade Provincial Leadership Index, released today by the Montreal Economic Institute and the Canadian Constitution Foundation.

“The Canadian Chamber of Commerce applauds the efforts of the MEI and CCF’s new report, Internal Trade Provincial Leadership Index, examining the leaders and laggards addressing one of Canada’s most significant economic challenge: its staggering barriers to internal trade.

 Highlighted in the Canadian Chamber’s own Roadmap to Prosperity, removing barriers to internal trade is considered mission critical to more than 450 local chamber of commerce and boards of trade across Canada.

The sad truth is that in many cases Canadian companies can trade more easily with other countries than they can between provinces. The cost to Canadians is massive, between $50 and $130 billion a year. Eliminating these barriers, we would add another 3% to 7% of growth to our GDP. 

To put that number into perspective, our national economy would grow by a Manitoba, a New Brunswick, a Newfoundland/Labrador, and a PEI combined. 

 The Internal Trade Leadership Index brings an important focus to the single most important tool to removing internal trade barriers: political leadership.  Over the past few months, leadership has been demonstrated by the governments of Alberta and Manitoba by unilaterally removing many of their exceptions under the Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA).

We applaud Premiers Kenney and Pallister for doing their part to help resolve an issue of critical importance to our economy. Today, the Canadian Chamber calls upon other premiers to follow suit and start removing their exceptions under the CFTA.”

The Voice of Canadian Business

The Canadian Chamber of Commerce is Canada’s largest and most representative business association, speaking with one unified voice on behalf of nearly a quarter million businesses. The Canadian Chamber’s job is to help Canadian businesses of all sizes, sectors, and regions thrive. We do this by helping them connect to each other and to new opportunities, providing essential business services and influencing government policy on their behalf. For more information visit Chamber.ca or follow @CdnChamberofCom on social media.

For more information, please contact:

Phil Taylor
Senior Director, Strategic Communications and Public Affairs
ptaylor@chamber.ca (preferred and fastest response time)
613.238.4000 (2231)