Annual Report April 2013 – March 2014

2013/2014 Highlights

The CIT held a Symposium on the Agreement on Internal Trade, a multi-sector conference convened on June 13, 2013 in Ottawa to explore the challenges and potential solutions to interprovincial trade in Canada. Five research projects on various topics regarding Internal Trade were used as the focal point for the symposium discussions. These papers were the impetus to discuss enhancing internal trade to help businesses expand across regions, strengthens productivity, facilitates labour mobility, lowers costs and attracts investment.

The Committee on Internal Trade (CIT) met during 2013/2014 to achieve further progress on its internal trade action plan. At its Annual Meeting in December 2013, Ministers:

• Directed officials to undertake further analysis to more clearly identify the nature and scope of the changes that would be required to strengthen technical barriers to trade provisions under the AIT.
• Directed officials to develop a comprehensive Communications Strategy for the Agreement on Internal Trade.
• Directed officials to develop an integrated, long term research plan.
• Directed officials to undertake further analysis, based on the research paper and discussions with registrars; and, report back to ministers with a recommended course of action.

In addition, the Annual General Meeting of the Internal Trade Secretariat Corporation (ITSC) was held via conference call in October 2013. The annual meeting of the ITSC Board of Directors to approve the budget plan took place in March 2014.