Public consultations open on four international trade deals

Canadians are invited to share their thoughts as the federal government negotiates trade agreements with India, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates and the Mercosur bloc.

The federal government announced public consultations on the agreements in a Dec. 13 news release. Consultations close on Jan. 26.

The agreements under negotiation are:

• Canada-India comprehensive economic partnership agreement
• Canada-United Arab Emirates comprehensive economic partnership agreement
• Canada-Thailand free trade agreement
• Canada-Mercosur free trade agreement

India is Canada’s seventh-largest trading partner for goods and services, though that trade relationship has been strained in recent years.

This year, India imposed a 30 per cent tariff on all imports of yellow peas.

The federal government and Canadian exporters have been working to expand trade with the Asia-Pacific region. Thailand was the third-largest economy in that region in 2024, the federal government said.

The Mercosur bloc, which comprises Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay, represented the eighth-largest economy in the world in 2024, the federal government said.

The government specifically asked for comments on issues including:

• Goods for export or import that would benefit from removal of trade barriers
• Import sensitivities
• Non-tariff barriers, technical barriers to trade and sanitary or phytosanitary measures to consider
• Promotion of environmental protections
• Promotion of labour rights or other human rights