Often easier for Canadian companies to do business across international borders than within our own country, says Business Council of Alberta
The threat of U.S. tariffs on Canadian imports is driving governments across the country to look inward to see how we can improve shared productivity and boost the country’s economy.
So, with the imminent threat of American tariffs, the federal Committee on Internal Trade, including federal Transport and Internal Trade Minister Anita Anand and her provincial and territorial counterparts, met at the end of January to look at what can be done to further eliminate internal trade barriers.
The principal aims the ministers reviewed included:
What are the barriers and why do they persist?
Health and safety rules that vary by jurisdiction can also result in barriers. One specific example is provincial regulations requiring the driver of a commercial vehicle to get a second inspection after crossing the border between British Columbia and Alberta.
What do gin, toilet seats and eggs have to do with it?
Fruits and vegetable producers must comply with different packaging and labeling regulations in each province, which increases costs and complicates trade. For example, a B.C. fruit producer may need to adjust packaging for Ontario.
One example of internal trade barriers involves Manitoba beef producers facing delays based on varying inspection protocols and transportation permits when trying to sell into Quebec.
Some barriers are small and strangely unique. Here are some examples:
What’s the value of interprovincial trade?
There are good reasons to reduce internal trade barriers beyond the U.S. tariff threat.
Why are the provinces slow to change?
However, some of the efforts made to reduce internal trade barriers through the CFTA agreement include:
Previously, an online stakeholder portal was opened in February 2023, allowing businesses and individuals to provide feedback on internal trade barriers. Otherwise, research projects have been completed to identify barriers and solutions, particularly in areas like food trade and security in the Northern Territories.
What efforts have the provinces made?
What else must be done?
And finally, echoing a famous line from 1987 international geopolitics, Wasif urges: “Premiers, it’s time to tear down these walls.”
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