Perspective
An Urgent Need for Freer Internal Trade
Canada needs to significantly improve its track record on internal trade if it wants to be a global player when it comes to international trade. That’s the sentiment expressed recently by a coalition of Canadian business groups, which includes CGA-Canada.
The coalition came together this past summer in time to press Canada’s provincial premiers at their recent meeting in Moncton to seriously consider how they can improve Canada’s inconsistent record on internal trade. The coalition represents broad business interests and speaks with one powerful voice, saying the time has come for action. This issue has been of concern to CGA-Canada for quite a few years now, so it’s good to know that other leading business interests share our sense of urgency on this important policy matter.
The coalition includes the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, the Canadian Council of Chief Executives, the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters, the Canadian Petroleum Products Institute, the Canadian Restaurant and Food Services Association, the Dairy Processors Association of Canada, the Vegetable Oil Industry of Canada, and CGA-Canada.
The group urged the premiers’ Council of the Federation to move without delay to fix the Agreement on Internal Trade’s (AIT) dispute resolution procedures and to ensure that governments fully comply with its panel rulings. The group’s consensus is that as it stands now, the AIT is far too complex and is generally inaccessible to those with real trade issues in Canada.
Instead, what’s needed is an effective dispute resolution mechanism, says the group, which is fully binding and that has significant consequences for non-compliance. Anything short of that just won’t have any lasting impact, as the coalition correctly observes.
Coalition members agree that improving trade and labour mobility between Canadian provinces will be a very good thing for all Canadians and for the Canadian economy as a whole. It will spur productivity, encourage entrepreneurship, and enable businesses to grow and flourish.
As far as CGA-Canada and its coalition partners are concerned, we have a real problem here which needs fixing, and the time for doing that is now. As more voices are raised and more concerns expressed, we are hopeful that some positive action will be taken soon. Canadians are speaking out on this matter and we hope that governments are listening.
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