Manitoba and BC Establish Free Trade Agreements
June 9, 2025
The Manitoba government will sign a new memorandum of understanding with British Columbia to advance free trade between the two provinces and cabinet will pass regulations by July 1 to ensure mutual recognition of other provinces by Canada Day, Premier Wab Kinew announced today at the MBiz Breakfast Series hosted by the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce.
“Fair trade in Canada is something the business community has been advocating for a long time,” said Kinew. “Manitoba is moving quickly to knock down the barriers that exist so we can create more wealth, jobs and opportunities here in Manitoba and build a more resilient and sovereign Canadian economy.”
With the Fair Trade in Canada Act, the legal framework is in place to establish reciprocal jurisdictions. The next step is for cabinet to pass mutual recognition rules for goods and services that meet comparable standards with those jurisdictions. This will remove internal trade barriers to enhance prosperity in Manitoba and Canada, which benefits both workers and businesses in Manitoba by making it easier to sell products and services across Canada, noted the premier.
Kinew also noted in the face of challenges like wildfires and new U.S. tariffs on steel, Manitoba’s economy remains strong with a reaffirmed A+ credit rating from S&P Global. Kinew highlighted consultations with the business community on the government’s Economic Development Strategy and new Innovation and Productivity Task Force chaired by Jim Balsillie as engines that will boost productivity, help the province compete in the knowledge economy, generate more jobs and improve quality of life for all Manitobans.
Kinew praised the heroism of front-line workers fighting fires and moving families to safety, and thanked the business community for its generosity in supporting the wildfire relief effort. Some of the proceeds from the chambers breakfast went toward supporting Manitoba’s donation-matching campaign with the Canadian Red Cross.
