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Canada

Canada has signed free trade agreements with the US, the US-and-Mexico (NAFTA), Costa Rica, Chile, Israel, Colombia, Peru and EFTA. It has also concluded talks with Jordan.

The government has also signed an Economic Framework Agreement with Japan and about 25 bilateral investment treaties.

Ottawa is currently in bilateral trade deal talks, or in the process of considering them, with Korea, Singapore, India, the so-called "Central America Four" (El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua), the Dominican Republic, the Andean Community, CARICOM, Morocco and the EU (CETA).

last update: May 2012

Photo: Creative Commons CC0


New treaty allows China to sue Canada to change its laws
Despite public outcry, Stephen Harper, Canada’s prime minister, ratified a controversial treaty on Friday that will allow China to sue Canada in secret tribunals to repeal Canadian laws that interfere with Chinese investments.
Harper OKs Canada-China foreign investment deal after lengthy delay
Sources tell CBC the federal government will quietly announce it is ratifying the investment treaty later this afternoon.
TransPacific Partnership deal elusive as talks set for Ottawa
This week, hundreds of negotiators from 11 Asia-Pacific countries descend on Ottawa as part of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) talks, viewed as the next big free trade deal after the European pact known as CETA.
Canada’s free-trade agenda: What’s the hold-up?
The Harper government’s vaunted free trade agenda is either a roaring success or hopelessly stalled — and given that government officials aren’t commenting, even experts in the field are having trouble deciding which.
Canada targets South Africa as priority market in Africa
Canadian Trade Minister Ed Fast said he will continue to lobby South African leaders about the benefits of bilateral investment treaties, despite their rejection of the idea. Canada signed a BIT with Burkina Faso this month and Fast announced this week that Madagascar is moving toward a similar deal with Canada.
Canada-Honduras trade agreement adopted by senate, awaits royal assent
It’s a repeat of the polarizing 2010 Canada-Colombia trade deal debate. Supporters find it obvious that expected increases in bilateral trade and investment can only improve lives in Honduras while opponents see a validation of the violent and undemocratic governance that’s prevailed in the country since a 2009 coup removed Manuel Zelaya.
Hupacasath First Nation vs. Canada-China FIPA agreement
A court hearing on June 10 was the second attempt by the Hupacasath and their allies to claim Section 35 rights to be consulted over the Canada-China Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (FIPA)
Stephen Harper’s free trade deals not living up to the political hype
Canada’s Prime Minister may announce the conclusion of marathon trade negotiations with the European Union in Brussels on June 4-5, when he’s in town for a previously scheduled G7 leaders meeting. Then again, he may not.
Canada knocks CARICOM ‘lack of ambition’ in trade talks
Less than two months remain to the agreed deadline for the conclusion of talks on a free-trade agreement between CARICOM and Canada, and the tensions are showing.
MFAFT gets anxious as Caricom/Canada FTA deadline nears
The waiver which facilitates duty-free access to Canada’s market expired three months ago, but Canada is still according duty-free treatment to goods from Caricom under the Caribbean/Canada Trade Agreement, CaribCan, officials attached to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade (MFAFT) say.

    Links


  • Canada’s BITs and FTAs
    Canada’s bilateral investment treaties (Foreign Investment Protection and Promotions Acts) and free trade agreements
  • CUPE
    Canadian Union of Public Employees’s trade webpage
  • RQIC
    Le Réseau Québécois sur l’Intégration Continentale fait campagne contre les accords de libre-échange