Nova Scotia removes trade barriers with five provinces as part of free trade push

CITYnews halifax / By Mark Hodgins

Work continues to tear down interprovincial trade barriers in Canada, a movement that Premier Tim Houston has been at the forefront of.

Now, the province says some of those barriers have already come down.

The government says it has taken action to remove trade barriers and red tape with five provinces: Alberta, B.C., Manitoba, Ontario and P.E.I.

The premier introduced legislation in February to get the ball rolling. The province is focusing on three areas: ending Canadian Free Trade Agreement exemptions that limit interprovincial trade with Nova Scotia; allowing goods or services legal in other provinces to be sold or provided in Nova Scotia without meeting some local requirements; and removing labour mobility barriers by requiring regulators to process equivalent licences.

“Removing these barriers will open up new opportunities for Nova Scotian businesses and help grow our economy. That means more jobs for Nova Scotians,” Houston said. “This is how Nova Scotia and Canada can be more economically secure.”

Related:

• Nova Scotia tables bill aimed at reducing interprovincial trade barriers
• P.E.I. tables similar bill to Nova Scotia aimed at reducing trade barriers
• Quebec tables bill to eliminate interprovincial trade barriers on sale of goods

According to the government, the removal of trade barriers with Alberta and P.E.I. takes effect immediately. Other provinces and the federal government are continuing to work on legislation.

“This announcement is one of the first tangible steps in adopting mutual recognition policy and breaking down interprovincial trade barriers. It shows that the premier and his government are serious about free trade within Canada. Simply put, this is good news for small businesses in our province. Now, eight in 10 small businesses across Canada are looking to their provinces to take the necessary steps to follow Nova Scotia’s lead,” said Duncan Robertson, director of legislative affairs (Nova Scotia) for the Canadian Federation of Independent Business.

In 2023, the value of Nova Scotia’s interprovincial exports was nearly $29 billion, making up about half of the province’s total exports.