Bloomberg

Canada Introduces Legislation for EFTA Trade Accord

By Theophilos Argitis

5 May 2008

May 5 (Bloomberg) — Canada’s government introduced legislation today to implement a free-trade accord with the four-nation European Free Trade Association.

Canada had signed the agreement with Norway, Iceland, Switzerland and Liechtenstein in January at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Canadian Trade Minister David Emerson said the accord may be approved by lawmakers by as soon as January.

``This sends a signal that Canada is back in the game and we are going to be executing trade strategies that will involve more agreements of this type,’’ Emerson told reporters in Ottawa.

Two-way trade in goods with EFTA amounted to C$10.7 billion ($10.6 billion) in 2006, according to the trade department’s Web site.