Notice of intent to conduct impact assessments of the Canada-Mercosur Free Trade Agreement negotiations

On March 9, 2018, Canada officially launched comprehensive free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations with Mercosur countries (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay).

As part of its Trade Diversification Agenda, the Government of Canada is expanding its impact assessment (IA) process for the negotiation of an FTA with Mercosur. As indicated in the news release, the IAs for the Canada-Mercosur FTA will include environment, labour, and gender and will be used to inform these negotiations.

All interested parties are invited to provide comments on any likely and significant impacts and opportunities that the Canada-Mercosur FTA may have on the environment, labour, and gender in Canada.

The environmental assessment will follow the standard procedure which includes a qualitative and quantitative environmental assessment linking the results of the economic assessment to an analysis of the likely environmental effects of the FTA.  For more information on the full process, please see the Global Affairs Canada website.

The labour assessment will be integrated into the economic assessment. A summary of this economic assessment will be made public. The Gender Based Analysis Plus (GBA+) initial report will contain an analysis of the potential effects on gender and diversity within Canada of the FTA.  A summary of the GBA+ initial report will be published for comment. 

The Government of Canada is committed to policies that expand opportunities for more Canadians to compete and succeed in international markets while protecting their interests. Mutually supportive trade, economic, environmental and social policies can contribute to this objective. To this end, the Minister of International Trade Diversification has directed officials to seek information and otherwise improve their understanding of the relationship between trade and the environment, labour, and gender at the earliest stages of decision making, and to do this through an open and inclusive process. These assessments of trade negotiations with Mercosur, which will be conducted in addition to the regular Environmental Assessment process, are critical to this work.

All interested parties are invited to submit their comments on the impact assessments of the Canada-Mercosur negotiations by October 14, 2018.

Contributions can be sent by email or mail to:

Email: PTAConsultationsPCP@international.gc.ca

Mail: Consultations on the impact assessments of the Canada-Mercosur FTA negotiations
Trade Negotiations —Trade Agreements and NAFTA Secretariat (TCT)
Global Affairs Canada
125 Sussex Drive
Ottawa, Ontario
K1N 1J1

Please read the privacy notice statement carefully prior to sending a written submission.

Related link: Canada-Mercosur Free Trade Agreement