With federal, provincial, and territorial ministers set to meet next week for the Committee on Internal Trade (CIT), the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) is calling on governments to build on recent progress and ensure reforms translate into real improvements for small businesses trying to operate across provincial and territorial borders.
“Canada has seen more movement on internal trade over the past year than we have in nearly a decade,” said Keyli Loeppky, CFIB’s director of interprovincial affairs. “The signing of the Canadian Mutual Recognition Agreement (CMRA) on the Sale of Goods and the introduction of mutual recognition legislation show governments are serious about tackling barriers. But momentum alone isn’t enough — businesses need clear rules, consistent implementation, and fewer exceptions.
“Small businesses are ready to grow, hire, and expand across Canada. Governments have an opportunity right now to turn momentum into meaningful change. Acting decisively will help unlock economic potential and make Canada’s economy stronger and more competitive.”
According to CFIB’s latest State of Internal Trade report, business owners continue to face obstacles such as duplicative testing requirements, inconsistent provincial regulations, and restrictions on moving goods and services across provincial borders.
“Small businesses are encouraged by recent announcements, but they’re also worried governments could replace old barriers with new, more complicated ones,” added Loeppky. “Reciprocal requirements, broad exceptions, and slow pilot projects risk recreating the same patchwork of rules that has held back Canada’s internal trade market for years.”
While the Canadian Mutual Recognition Agreement on the Sale of Goods is an important step forward, CFIB warns that inconsistent implementation or excessive carveouts could limit its impact. At the same time, major barriers remain in key sectors important to small businesses, including all services, food, alcohol, and labour mobility. Alcohol remains a clear example of slow implementation. The deadline for direct-to-consumer alcohol shipment is just two months away (May 2026), yet most provinces have made little visible progress, with the exception of New Brunswick and Manitoba, explained the CFIB.
CFIB is urging the Committee on Internal Trade to prioritize several actions at its upcoming meeting, including:
- Quickly expand Canadian Mutual Recognition Agreement to include all services, food, alcohol, and labour mobility.
- Ensuring consistent and transparent implementation of the Canadian Mutual Recognition Agreement on the Sale of Goods.
- Removing reciprocal requirements from mutual recognition legislation to reduce red tape.
- Publishing details of the interprovincial trucking agreement and its implementation timelines.
- Resolving federal–provincial barriers preventing provincially inspected food products from moving freely across Canada.
- Accelerating timelines for direct-to-consumer alcohol shipments.
The CFIB is Canada’s largest association of small and medium-sized businesses with 103,000 members across every industry and region.
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