While free trade agreements may seem complex, they are intended to make trade more accessible to all Canadian businesses, including small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Recent free trade agreements, such as the Canada-Korea Free Trade Agreement (CKFTA), the Canada-EU Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) and the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (PPAC) agreement, have been negotiated to make trade more accessible to SMEs. Trade agreements – and a huge expansion of exports – followed with a number of countries such as: Here is a list of countries and trade blocs with which Canada has free trade agreements under way. [7] COVID-19 relates to international travel, including business travel under free trade agreements such as NAFTA, CETA and CPTPP. For more information, visit the relevant immigration services of Canada`s trading partners. To qualify for a preferential right, your property must also be considered “original” under the free trade agreement in question. In a free trade agreement, the “rules of origin” determine whether a commodity originated or not. These rules ensure that the benefits of the agreement apply only to products manufactured in one of the free trade agreements. Some rules of origin are simple.
For example, products originating in Canada apply when they are “fully obtained” in Canada, such as wheat harvested from a Saskatchewan field or sea cucumbers collected off Vancouver Island. Other rules of origin (including those that allow bids outside the free trade agreement) are relatively complex. While a carrier or customs broker can give you a good understanding of the rule of origin that applies to your property – for a fee – only the importing country determines whether a Gutalse is considered an original character. If your property is subject to a complex rule of origin, you can apply for a preliminary decision from the customs authorities of the importing country on its origin. An importer, exporter or manufacturer of a commodity can request a decision if they have the necessary information on how the products were manufactured. Understanding how a free trade agreement can help your business abroad compete abroad may seem scary, especially for SMEs, but many resources are available to seize the opportunities they exploit. We strongly recommend that you use the Support Programs of the Canadian Trade Service (CHT). The CHT is present in 160 cities around the world, including all markets where Canada has a free trade agreement that will provide you with qualified local advice and contacts and discuss possible support programs to support your international expansion, such as CanExport. McCall adds that there is “a really missed opportunity not to address it,” and notes that Canada is not alone in this issue. It has a number of important partners, including “voices of mutual support” within the EU, which has addressed the issue. Canada, Chile and New Zealand have also created an inclusive trade action group that has made a joint statement to promote progressive and inclusive trade.