Official announcement: Expiry of Origin Quotas under Canada-UK Trade Continuity Agreement (CUKTCA) - Serial No. 1109

The Canada-UK Trade Continuity Agreement (CUKTCA) was created to ensure the continuity and uninterrupted flow of free trade between Canada and the United Kingdom (UK) following the UK's departure from the European Union (EU). With the UK's exit from the EU, trade relations between Canada and the UK required a new framework to govern their economic interactions. The CUKTCA was designed to replicate, to the extent possible, the trade benefits and provisions that existed under the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) between Canada and the EU.

The Origin Quotas under the CUKTCA represent specific provisions governing the import and export of certain goods between Canada and the UK. These Origin Quotas delineate predetermined volumes or quantities of certain goods, typically agricultural or manufactured products, such as textiles, apparel and vehicles, that are subject to a different set of rules of origin, in order to qualify for preferential tariffs.

This communication is meant as an official announcement regarding the imminent expiry of the Origin Quotas, outlined in Annex 5-A of the CUKTCA agreement. As articulated in paragraph 3 of Annex 5-A to the Protocol on Rules of Origin and Origin Procedures, the cessation of these annual quotas is scheduled to occur three years subsequent to the entry into force of the CUKTCA Agreement (i.e., April 1, 2021). As such, the ability to utilize these CUKTCA Origin Quotas will cease as of April 1, 2024. This decision reflects the culmination of transitional provisions delineated within the CUKTCA.

Global Affairs Canada officials stand ready to provide assistance and any necessary information. We encourage all stakeholders to stay informed and prepared for this upcoming transition.

For further clarification or inquiries regarding this matter, please contact our designated mailbox: Origin.Quotas-Contingents.Origine@international.gc.ca.