Share your views: Public consultations on potential new measures to advance and defend Canada’s economic security interests

Purpose of consultation

• The Government of Canada is seeking stakeholder views on potentially strengthening measures to advance Canada’s economic security and supply chain resilience in the context of global economic and trade challenges, such as protectionist and non-market policies and practices by other countries and other forms of economic threats or coercion.
• The information collected through this consultation will inform whole-of-government approaches and measures to advance Canada’s economic security interests.

Join in: How to participate

Submissions should include the following information:

• Company/organization name, address, telephone number, and contact person.
• Views on the questions posed above, or additional relevant information.
• Indication of whether information provided is commercially sensitive.

Who is the focus of this consultation?

The Government of Canada invites any interested stakeholder to provide input, including from:

• the Canadian public
• industry associations
• Indigenous organizations
• labour unions
• small, medium and large enterprises
• academics and experts
• civil society organizations
• provinces, territories and municipalities
• other interested stakeholders

It is important to have a breadth and diversity of views represented through this consultation process.

Privacy notice

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

Additional information

Participants are encouraged to review the background information to learn more about this consultation.

This consultation is separate from the consultation on potential policy responses to unfair Chinese trade practices in electric vehicles which concluded on August 1, 2024.

Canada is exploring whether potential enhancements to its toolkit are needed to effectively respond to harmful economic practices in the evolving economic and geopolitical environment. In this context, Canada is seeking the views of stakeholders on the potential benefits and risks of the following potential measures:

• Suspension of benefits (non surtax): Explore options such as suspending non-tariff-related benefits under a free trade agreement in response to trade actions that harm Canada.
• Trade remedies: Consider enhanced trade remedies authorities (e.g., anti-circumvention and enforcement) that could further protect against unfairly dumped or subsidized imports that harm Canadian industry.
• Investigative Powers: Consider whether new forms of administrative or quasi-judicial investigations or reviews may be needed to achieve economic resilience objectives.
• Strengthening supply chains: Explore potential policy measures (e.g. restricting eligibility to incentives or other trade and investment benefits) to strengthen Canada’s supply chains in relation to certain products, for instance in critical or strategic sectors, to limit the sourcing of these products from entities that pose risks related to Canada’s essential security interests.
• Expanding Canadian incentives and tax credits: Consider expanding incentives for targeted sectors to improve competitive standing (e.g. Canadian critical minerals projects).
• Trade controls: Ensure the export controls regime under the Export and Import Permits Act (R.S.C., 1985, c. E-19) continues to address risks to national security posed by exports of advanced dual-use technologies. Consider additional critical or strategic items to be added to the Export Control List or Import Control List, including where enhanced monitoring may be required.
• Export duties: Consider amended or additional authorities to impose export duties or restrictions on specified products in critical or strategic sectors in response to the trade actions of other countries or for Canada’s economic security (e.g. through amendments to the Special Economic Measures Act, or the Export Act) or through the creation of new, targeted legislation to cover specific sectors such as critical minerals. Consider specific criteria related to when export duties may be required, or products to focus on to protect Canada’s economic security.
• Investing in critical minerals supply chain resilience: Consideration of financing options or measures to address price volatility and to support diversification of critical minerals supply chains, including through financing from federal Crown Corporations (e.g., Export Development Canada and the Business Development Bank of Canada), or through other mechanisms to support targeted Canadian direct investment domestically and abroad in strategic projects. Consideration of public-private strategic holdings of specific critical minerals and/or associated materials to bolster Canada’s economic and national security and prevent material shortages.

Key questions for discussion

• What do you view as the main external risks and threats to Canada’s economic security? Which economic sectors do you think are most vulnerable to these threats?
• Do you have specific suggestions for improvement to a Government of Canada tool used for addressing economic security vulnerabilities, such as economic coercion, shocks to essential supply chains, unfair trade practices that undermine Canada’s competitiveness on the global stage, and protectionist policies by other countries that restrict Canada’s access to international markets? What guardrails do you think are needed to constrain overuse of a measure? Are there implementation considerations that could improve effectiveness of tools?
• What kind of results/outcomes would you want to see in terms of addressing a specific threat? Under what circumstances should Canada be prepared to deploy the various tools in its toolkit? What types of trade-offs are you prepared for (e.g. higher costs, lower diversity of consumer products)?
• What information could the Government of Canada provide to help you plan for and mitigate economic security and resilience risks?
• What trade and investment policy approaches could help Canada to promote its competitiveness, resiliency and attract investment into critical emerging sectors (e.g. energy and clean technology, critical minerals, artificial intelligence (AI), biotech, quantum computing, semiconductors and communications technologies)?
• How does Canadian industry take into account economic security and geopolitical risk in its sourcing, exporting, supply chain resilience and investment-related decision making?
• How can the Government of Canada better support Canadian industry with investing in essential or critical assets abroad located in or operating in foreign markets, as well as in securing supply of essential goods from foreign markets, for the purpose of expanding or securing operations abroad, or of addressing supply side vulnerabilities (e.g. access to raw or key input materials)?

Key considerations

In assessing any potential new measures, the Government of Canada will consider:

• the effectiveness of existing tools in advancing Canada’s economic prosperity and competitiveness while protecting its economic security interests and defending against economic threats;
• the overall balance of stakeholder interests;
• the administrative burden and costs to stakeholders;
• the new policy or fiscal authorities required to implement the measure, if applicable;
• the technical feasibility of the measure;
• the expected effectiveness of the approach;
• transparency, procedural fairness and due process;
• balancing national security and prosperity, including a level playing field for Canadian industries in the global market;
• compliance with Canada’s international trade obligations (e.g., WTO, CUSMA, CETA, CPTPP etc.) and other international commitments.

Related links

• Launch of public consultations on potential collection of information on country of smelt and cast for aluminum imports
• Share your views: Public consultations on the potential collection and publication of country of melt and pour information for steel imports under Canada's Steel Import Monitoring Program
• Canada launches consultation to protect Canadian workers and electric vehicle supply chains from unfair Chinese trade practices
• Modernization – Investment Canada Act
• Safeguarding your research portal
• National security guidelines for research partnerships
• Policy on sensitive technology research and affiliations of concern
• Research security centre
• 2023 Fall Economic Statement: Policy statement on ensuring reciprocal treatment for Canadian businesses abroad
• Ministerial statement on net benefit reviews of Canadian critical minerals companies
• Government of Canada releases updated critical minerals list
• Canadian Critical Minerals Strategy

Contact us

Strategic Trade Policy Unit (TPSS)
Global Affairs Canada
125 Sussex Drive
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0G2
Email: TPSS-Consultations@international.gc.ca