Internal Trade & Interprovincial Cooperation
After years of CFIB advocacy, The Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA) was signed July 1, 2017, by all provinces, territories and the federal government. The CFTA replaced the dated and ineffective Agreement on Internal Trade. The purpose of the new agreement is to reduce and eliminate barriers to the free movement of people, goods, services and investments within the country.
How much progress has been made on internal trade?
- July 1, 2022, marks the 5th anniversary of the CFTA. While some progress has been made under the agreement, there is much more to be done to make a difference for Canadian businesses and consumers. CFIB is holding governments to account to ensure progress continues.
- Pictured: Laura Jones, CFIB’s Executive Vice-President presents Canada’s trade ministers the Golden Scissors Award for the signing of the new Canada Free Trade Agreement (CFTA) in July 2017.

The State of Internal Trade:
Canada’s Interprovincial Cooperation Report Card - 2022
To mark the fifth anniversary of the Canada Free Trade Agreement, CFIB created a new report card to grade government progress on internal trade. The report grades governments in three areas:
- exceptions to the CFTA
- select barriers to internal trade
- implementation status of reconciliation agreements

Advocacy on Internal Trade
Letters & Submissions
- August 2022 - CFIB Submission to Regulatory Reconciliation and Cooperation Table (RCT) Work Plan for 2022-2023
- May 2022 – Letter to Premiers: Now is the time to prioritize eliminating internal trade and labour mobility barriers
- April 2021 – Submission to RCT Workplan for 2021-2022
- June 2017 - Letter to Prime Minister Trudeau: Moving Forward to Eliminate Red Tape through the Canadian Free Trade Agreement’s Regulatory Reconciliation and Cooperation Table
Recent Media Releases
- All
- Media Releases
Breaking Down Barriers
Progress on Labour Mobility
Alberta government awarded Golden Scissors for Bill 49 – The Labour Mobility Act. The new legislation
- Makes it easier to recognize out of province certification for over 100 professional occupations
- Legislates a timeline of 20 days for registration decisions
- First of its kind in Canada

About CFIB
The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) is the country’s champion of small business. With over 97,000 members, we’re Canada’s largest non-profit organization devoted to creating and supporting an environment where your business can succeed.
Across Canada, we advocate for small business with politicians and decision-makers. As a non-partisan organization, we influence public policy based on our members’ views, ensuring that you have a chance to affect the laws and policies that affect your business.