July 8, 2016 by admin

Talks taking place in Toronto on plan to ease interprovincial trade barriers

TORONTO — Talks on a plan to ease interprovincial trade barriers resume in Toronto today in hopes of cutting red tape that has been a headache for businesses and consumers.
Ontario Economic Development Minister Brad Duguid says he fully expects his federal and provincial counterparts to agree on a proposal that seeks to open up the flow of goods and create jobs.
Duguid says the premiers will have the final word on whether to sign or tinker with a proposal that has been worked on for about two years.
Duguid’s Alberta counterpart Deron Bilous is more cautious.
Bilous says a trade deal is going to have “far-reaching” and “long-term implications,” and he wants to take the time to make sure the deal is right for Canada.
An internal trade agreement was signed in 1994, but Bank of Canada governor Stephen Poloz has said that Canada’s internal trade is actually less free in many respects than its external trade.
One frequently cited example of the effect of interprovincial barriers is how they restrict the export of beer around the country.