Canadian Free Trade

SCC works with industry and governments to support the implementation of the Canadian Free Trade Agreement. The agreement supports the free movement of persons, goods, services and investments across borders within Canada and helps ensure an open and stable domestic market.

When provinces and territories have different requirements, this can create trade barriers for products, services and professionals. 

Examples of trade barriers:

• a crane operator trained in one province or territory may not be qualified to work in another 
• a product that needs comply to different standards, or be re-certified to the same standard, in different provinces and territories. 

Sometimes, different requirements and regulations are needed. But at other times, they cause barriers to trade that create red tape for businesses without any tangible benefits. 

By helping to align regulations across the country, we: 

• support free trade in Canada by removing unnecessary trade barriers
• make Canadian companies more competitive 
• increase opportunities for Canadian workers 
• provide better prices and more choice for Canadians

The Canadian Free Trade Agreement establishes a regulatory reconciliation process that will help to address barriers to trade that companies may experience when doing business across provincial and territorial borders.

Our role

We help to break down internal trade barriers by working to align standards in federal, provincial and territorial regulations. Through the Provincial and Territorial Advisory Committee, we work with governments across Canada as they identify and prioritize sectors where aligning standards can benefit Canadians.

This will help: 

• move us toward freer trade in Canada
• result in a healthier, more sustainable and competitive nation in the years ahead  

• result in lower costs for Canadian consumers.