REACTION: Canada’s provinces and territories should follow Tim Houston’s example on internal trade

Montreal, February 20, 2025 – Nova Scotia’s Free Trade and Mobility Within Canada Act should be emulated by all of Canada’s provinces and territories, says the MEI.

“It’s high time to act in order to eliminate interprovincial trade barriers,” says Daniel Dufort, President and CEO of the MEI. “By introducing this bill, Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston is setting an example for his peers.”

The bill proposed by Premier Houston would eliminate bureaucratic and compliance requirements for goods and services sold in Nova Scotia that originate from other Canadian provinces. The removal of these requirements would apply automatically to any province or territory having adopted a similar law.

In its most recent ranking of provincial leadership on internal trade, the MEI counted 245 exemptions included in the Canadian Free Trade Agreement.

It is estimated that eliminating these obstacles, along with regulatory barriers and those affecting labour mobility, could boost Canada’s GDP by some $200 billion.

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The MEI is an independent public policy think tank with offices in Montreal, Ottawa, and Calgary. Through its publications, media appearances, and advisory services to policymakers, the MEI stimulates public policy debate and reforms based on sound economics and entrepreneurship.

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