Today, the Honorable Chrystia Freeland, Minister of Transport and Internal Trade, announced that in the context of efforts made for the Canadian economy unit, the federal government will eliminate all federal exceptions which are still the Canadian Free Trade Agreement (ALEC). Thus, the 53 exceptions provided for in the agreement since its entry into force in 2017 will be eliminated.
Most exceptions concern public procurement, and their abolition will give Canadian companies more possibilities to conclude markets across the country. For example, following this last examination, the federal government eliminates the exceptions relating to public procurement which concern financial entities, regional planning for commercial purposes, transport services and space projects.
The governments of the provinces and territories have all undertaken to re -examine their respective exceptions within the framework of the ALEC. Together, they have made great progress, and the fruit of their work will be announced at the meeting of the internal trade committee on July 8, 2025.
Today’s announcement is part of the efforts made to strengthen the Canadian economy, including Bill C-5, a Canadian economy law law, which will remove federal obstacles to internal trade and labor mobility and which will advance projects of national interest in order to stimulate the productivity, economic growth and competitiveness of Canada.
“The abolition of all the federal exceptions provided for in the Canadian Free Trade Agreement is one of the many measures that we have taken recently, after the adoption of the Canadian Economy Unit Act, in order to eliminate obstacles to domestic trade and reduce administrative formalities for Canadian companies,” said Minister Freeland.
“We quickly follow up on our commitments to improve workers’ mobility across the country, conclude mutual recognition agreements that promote the circulation of goods and services as well as remove the duplication of requirements, which have been creating costs and delays for Canadian companies and workers for too long. We will ensure the unit of the Canadian economy so that it offers more possibilities to Canadian companies and workers from here and that it puts more money in the pockets of each Canadian. ”
The federal government will continue to show initiative in this regard and collaborate with the provinces and territories to strengthen ALEC, advance mutual recognition and guarantee the free mobility of labor in Canada.
“The new government of Canada drops obstacles to trade and builds a strong economy connected by Canadian projects, fueled by Canadian energy and carried out by Canadian workers. Together, we can give ourselves more than a foreign nation can take us away, “said Prime Minister Mark Carney.
