Ottawa, September 26, 2024 – The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) welcomes the Committee on Internal Trade’s (CIT) new mutual recognition pilot project for the trucking sector. This initiative is a significant step toward eliminating remaining internal trade barriers for the industry and ensuring the smoother movement of goods across provincial and territorial borders.
Today’s announcement marks the first bold step Canadian governments have taken to eliminate internal trade barriers since the signing of the Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA) in 2017. CFIB has advocated for mutual recognition since it became apparent that the CFTA fell short in addressing many barriers to the movement of goods, services and people across Canada. This pilot project will allow jurisdictions to recognize one another’s regulatory requirements without compromising safety within the industry.
Mutual recognition not only enhances efficiency by reducing red tape and lowering costs, but also contributes to greater competitiveness for small businesses. As pointed out in CFIB’s 2024 State of Internal Trade report, eliminating internal trade barriers could add $200 billion to Canada’s economy annually. It would be a mistake for Canada’s leaders to ignore this important approach to boost productivity and the economy.
CFIB commends the federal government and Newfoundland and Labrador for co-chairing this pilot and encourages all jurisdictions to work collaboratively to ensure the successful implementation of the project. CFIB has taken note that several jurisdictions have not signaled their participation in this agreement and urges them to get on board prior to the next CIT meeting.
While CFIB would ultimately like to see a mutual recognition agreement that encompasses all federal, provincial and territorial regulatory measures, we acknowledge that this pilot is an important first step towards that goal. CFIB looks forward to monitoring the progress of this initiative and engaging with stakeholders to ensure its success.
- Keyli Loeppky, Director of Alberta and Interprovincial Affairs, CFIB
For media enquiries or interviews, please contact:
Dariya Baiguzhiyeva, CFIB
647-464-2814
public.affairs@cfib.ca
About CFIB
The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) is Canada’s largest association of small and medium-sized businesses with 97,000 members across every industry and region. CFIB is dedicated to increasing business owners’ chances of success by driving policy change at all levels of government, providing expert advice and tools, and negotiating exclusive savings. Learn more at cfib.ca.