Canada removing all remaining barriers to strengthen Canadian Free Trade Agreement
July 03, 2025
Global Korean Post
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On June 30, Minister of Transport and Internal Trade announced a historic step towards freer trade within Canada.
As part of the Government’s efforts to build one Canadian economy, the federal government will be removing all remaining federal exceptions from the Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA), eliminating all 53 in the Agreement since its introduction in 2017.
Most of the exceptions removed focus on procurement, which will provide Canadian businesses with more opportunities to be competitive across the country. For example, as part of this last review, the federal government is removing procurement exceptions related to financial entities, commercial land development, transportation services and space projects.
All provincial and territorial governments have committed to undertaking a review of their respective exceptions under the CFTA. Together, they have made great progress and the results will be announced at the upcoming meeting of the Committee on Internal Trade on July 8, 2025.
The announcement builds on the government’s efforts to strengthen the Canadian economy. Most recently, the government passed Bill C-5, the One Canadian Economy Act, which will remove federal barriers to internal trade and labour mobility, and advance nation-building projects to drive Canadian productivity, economic growth, and competitiveness.
