The threat of Donald Trump’s tariffs and the potential collapse of North American free trade have prompted Canada to look inward. With international trade under pressure, the country is, at last, taking meaningful steps to improve trade within its own borders.

Canada’s Constitution gives provinces control over many key economic levers. While Ottawa manages international trade, it’s the provinces that regulate licensing, certification and procurement rules. These fragmented regulations have long acted as internal trade barriers, forcing companies and professionals to navigate duplicate approval processes when operating across provincial lines.

For businesses and workers, these restrictions increase costs, delay projects and limit job opportunities. For consumers, this means higher prices and fewer choices. Economists estimate that these barriers hold back up to $200 billion of Canada’s economy annually, roughly eight per cent of the country’s GDP.

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