Houston pushes for momentum on free trade within Canada

Keith Doucette · The Canadian Press

· Posted: Mar 05, 2025 4:18 PM EST | Last Updated: March 5

Nova Scotia's premier is hoping to physique momentum connected freeing up commercialized wrong Canada, arsenic the state deals with the economical accent caused by tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump.

Tim Houston told reporters Wednesday that portion the country's premiers admit interior commercialized barriers person to travel down, helium was "less than impressed" with the urgency of immoderate unnamed commercialized ministers during a gathering successful Toronto past Friday.

The premier, who is besides Nova Scotia's commercialized minister, took portion successful the Committee connected Internal Trade gathering with national Internal Trade Minister Anita Anand.

"We really had commercialized ministers who were talking astir a 12-month survey going crossed the state and looking astatine antithetic regulations successful antithetic provinces," said Houston. "Obviously, that's mode retired of interaction with what's indispensable successful this moment."

Still, Houston believes advancement tin beryllium made successful eliminating commercialized barriers.

"At the premiers level, determination is an acknowledgment that this has to happen," helium said.

"Canadians privation this, premiers privation this and the national authorities decidedly wants it. So I judge we tin marque progress, and I deliberation Nova Scotia volition person to proceed to pb the way."

Houston's Progressive Conservative authorities tabled authorities past week aimed astatine eliminating commercialized barriers with provinces that walk akin legislation.

Under the Free Trade and Mobility wrong Canada Act, goods manufactured successful different state oregon territory would beryllium treated the aforesaid arsenic products produced successful Nova Scotia.

Houston has said the determination would destruct the request for further fees oregon investigating requirements for goods coming to his state from different Canadian jurisdictions. The enactment would besides let work providers and licensed professionals who are decently certified to beryllium recognized arsenic if they were licensed successful Nova Scotia.

So far, Ontario is astir supportive of Nova Scotia's move, on with British Columbia, portion provinces specified arsenic Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba are besides looking astatine the proposal, Houston said.

"We'll support pushing," helium said. "I judge that erstwhile Ontario joins on, being the biggest province, we volition spot immoderate existent momentum."

Last week, Ontario Premier Doug Ford turned to societal media to say, "Count maine in," erstwhile helium responded to Nova Scotia's legislation. B.C. Premier David Eby said he, too, was interested.

"British Columbia continues to propulsion … for a communal designation approach," said Eby. "This is wherever if it's bully capable for your province, it's bully capable for our state with a constricted database of exceptions wherever necessary, but ideally none."

The national curate has said that eliminating interior commercialized barriers could adhd an other $200 cardinal to the Canadian system and minimize the interaction of the 25 per cent U.S. tariff connected goods.