Whereas interprovincial trade barriers restrict market access for businesses and limit opportunities for local governments to source competitively within Canada; And whereas eliminating these barriers would facilitate economic growth, encourage interprovincial commerce, and provide local governments with greater flexibility in procurement decisions: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM urge the provincial and federal governments to take immediate action to reduce and eliminate interprovincial trade barriers, improving market access for Canadian businesses and enabling local governments to procure goods and services from across the country more efficiently.
Ministry of Jobs and Economic Growth British Columbia is committed to reducing interprovincial trade barriers and continues to lead this work nationally. As Chair of the intergovernmental negotiations, BC proposed, led, and championed the development of the Canadian Mutual Recognition Agreement CMRA, which was signed by all provinces, territories, and the federal government. Under the CMRA, a good that may be lawfully sold in one province, or territory may be sold across Canada without having to meet further requirements unless a specific exception is identified by a government. If a good can be lawfully sold in BC, it will no longer face additional testing, certification, or approvals before being sold across the country. To implement this commitment in British Columbia, the Province introduced Bill 5, the Trade Recognition Act, which would align provincial legislation with the CMRA and streamline requirements for businesses seeking to sell goods across multiple jurisdictions. This work complements British Columbias obligations under the Canadian Free Trade Agreement and the New West Partnership Trade Agreement, which guide open, transparent, and nondiscriminatory procurement practices above established thresholds. British Columbia will continue collaborating with its provincial and territorial partners to expand the scope of the CMRA and pursue further opportunities to reduce barriers affecting businesses, workers, and local governments.