Rerouting Reform: Overcoming Internal Trade Barriers In Canada's Trucking Regulation

As uncertainty surrounding Canada's relationship with its main trading partner intensifies, federal and provincial governments have turned their attention inward to the urgent need to eliminate non-tariff interprovincial trade barriers. These include protectionist statutory and regulatory restrictions, as well as technical and administrative hurdles that impede the free flow of goods, services, and labour across provincial and territorial borders.

This renewed focus is a positive development. Interprovincial trade barriers have long undermined Canada's economic efficiency, costing the country up to 4% of its real GDP, while stifling business growth and limiting workforce mobility. These barriers take various forms, including inconsistent regulations, diverging technical standards, and complex logistics.