Standing Committee on International Trade

Comité permanent du commerce international

For immediate release

Ottawa, May 01, 2019 -

Today, the House of Commons Standing Committee on International Trade presented, in the House of Commons, a report entitled A Canada–Pacific Alliance Free Trade Agreement: Possible Implications for Canadians.

The report contains six recommendations relating to a potential Canada–Pacific Alliance free trade agreement (FTA). In particular, the recommendations focus on tariff and non-tariff barriers to trade, regulatory cooperation, investment protection coincident with the ability to adopt and maintain measures in the public interest, the cross-border mobility of business persons and professionals, sharing the benefits of such an FTA, and resources for the negotiation of FTAs, including a Canada–Pacific Alliance FTA.

“Canada currently has one or more bilateral or plurilateral free trade agreements with each of the four Pacific Alliance countries: Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru,” said the Honourable Mark Eyking, P.C., M.P., Chair of the Committee. “However, a Canada–Pacific Alliance FTA could build on these existing agreements and provide Canada with improved access to the markets of the four countries.”

Mr. Eyking concluded: “Implementation of the recommendations in the Committee’s report would help both to enhance Canada’s trade and investment relations with the Pacific Alliance countries, and to ensure that a potential Canada–Pacific Alliance FTA would benefit Canadians. Certainly, the Committee hopes that the Government of Canada will give serious and timely consideration to these recommendations.”

The Committee’s report can be accessed on its website.