Canada’s Minister of International Trade and Economic Development, Mary Ng, tabled the text of the modernized Canada-Ukraine Free Trade Agreement (CUFTA) in the House of Commons. Minister Ng concurrently also introduced Bill C-57, which, if adopted by Parliament, will implement the modernized Agreement in Canadian law.
The modernized CUFTA includes dedicated new chapters and provisions on trade in services (including financial), investment, temporary entry for business persons, telecommunications, digital trade, labour and the environment, among other areas.
When in force, the modernized CUFTA will not only continue to provide preferential market access for merchandise trade, it will also establish ambitious new market-access terms for services trade and investment.
Bill C-57 will amend legislation to implement the modernized CUFTA in domestic law before the Government of Canada takes further steps to bring the Agreement into force.