Chamber lauds internal trade barriers removal move
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 24/02/2025 (207 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Ottawa’s decision to remove more than half of federal internal trade barriers will net a positive impact on Brandon businesses, Brandon Chamber of Commerce president Lois Ruston told the Sun.
Internal Trade Minister Anita Anand announced to provinces and territories Friday that the federal government will remove the barriers to make Canada less reliant on the United States.
Ottawa is removing 20 of the 39 remaining federal Canada Free Trade Agreement (CFTA) exceptions related to government procurement to encourage more trade and opportunities for Canadian businesses across the country.
“We anticipate that the removal of interprovincial trade barriers will have a net positive impact for Brandon businesses,” Ruston said in an interview. “The Canadian Chamber of Commerce data indicates that interprovincial barriers act like a 21 per cent tariff, whose removal could represent a four per cent increase in GDP across the country, so certainly we anticipate seeing benefits for Brandon businesses.”
Ruston acknowledged that while the Brandon chamber has not received direct concerns from its members on the issue during her six years on the board, the problem of interprovincial trade barriers has existed for decades.
“The Brandon chamber recently partnered with the Winnipeg chamber in sharing their business survey with our members on trade and tariff impacts, and we hope to receive the results in the coming weeks,” she said. “This will provide a more fulsome look into some areas, including the impacts of removing interprovincial trade barriers.”
The Chamber continues to engage with its members on trade-related concerns and is working on advocacy efforts to ensure local businesses benefit from policy changes.
“We will be partnering with the Manitoba Chamber to host a roundtable here in Brandon in March and continue to communicate with and support our members at every opportunity,” Ruston said.
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