A new bill tabled in Manitoba’s legislature hopes to further break down interprovincial barriers, the provincial government said May 22.
Bill 47, the Fair Trade in Canada Act, is based on mutual recognition with other provinces, according to Manitoba’s trade minister, Jamie Moses. The bill would let the province designate other provinces or territories with similar legislation as a “reciprocating jurisdiction,” and steamline the trade of goods and services. Goods and services from those areas would then get special status, noting that they meet comparable standards and approvals in Manitoba.
The bill could also kick in with similar legislation from the federal government.
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It would not, however, apply to goods and services from a Crown corporation.
WHY IT MATTERS: Trade tensions with the U.S. have put more attention on knocking down interprovincial trade barriers than Canada has seen in years.
The move comes as Canada continues to wrestle with a tariff-laden trade landscape between its major trading partners, the U.S. and China.
Manitoba, along with other provinces and the federal government, have turned to addressing interprovincial trade barriers in an effort to foster more business at home.
“Through this legislation and co-operation with other provinces, territories and the federal government, we will unlock more economic opportunities for people across the country. Together, we are building a stronger, more resilient economy that will support Manitoba workers and bring our country together,” Moses said.
Buy Canadian
The new legislation was announced alongside news that June 1 has officially been dubbed “Buy Manitoba, Buy Canadian Day.”
Consumers have been urged by local and federal politicians to keep their spending local and domestic in the wake of international trade tensions.
“Buy Manitoba, Buy Canadian Day” would be an annual event, a provincial release noted.
Building on co-operation
The May 22 announcements are the next step in economic co-operation following a memorandum of understanding signed between Ontario and Manitoba in mid-May
That agreement said both provinces would introduce legislation with a reciprocal mutual recognition framework to reduce trade barriers, following the example of other provinces, such as Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and British Columbia, who have all introduced similar legislation.