Interprovincial trade barriers are falling. But rewriting old rules will take time

Source: CBC Politics
Date: 2026-08-28 14:14:49.0
Tags: [National, British Columbia, Prince Edward Island, Trade, Economy, Industry]

Federal and provincial ministers met in Iqaluit and Prince Edward Island to advance interprovincial trade agreements, building on a recent nine-province accord allowing direct-to-consumer alcohol sales across provincial lines. International Monetary Fund estimates indicate that removing internal trade barriers could increase Canada's real grossD product by up to seven per cent, or approximately $210 billion, over the long term. Priorities for ongoing discussions include securing a freer flow of services by the end of the year, harmonizing approval processes for prefabricated homes and building materials, and facilitating food trade. Meanwhile, University of Ottawa professor Wolfgang Alschner is utilizing artificial intelligence to catalogue approximately 17,000 regulatory texts across Canada to systematically identify and eliminate unnecessary trade divergences.