Canada-Israel Free Trade Agreement

FREE TRADE AGREEMENT
BETWEEN
THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA
AND
THE GOVERNMENT OF THE STATE OF ISRAEL

PREAMBLE

THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA (“Canada”) AND THE GOVERNMENT OF THE STATE OF ISRAEL (“Israel”), hereinafter referred to as “the Parties”, resolved to:

STRENGTHEN their economic relations and promote economic development;

REINFORCE the special bonds of friendship and cooperation between their peoples;

CONTRIBUTE to the harmonious development and expansion of world and regional trade and to provide a catalyst to broader international cooperation;

BUILD on their respective rights and obligations under the Marrakesh Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organization, done on 15 April 1994, and other multilateral agreements, bilateral agreements, or instruments of cooperation to which they are both parties;

CREATE an expanded and secure market for their goods and establish clear, transparent and mutually advantageous rules having due regard to fair conditions of competition in order to foster a predictable environment for their trade;

REDUCE obstacles to trade;

PROMOTE a predictable commercial framework for business planning;

ENHANCE the competitiveness of their firms in global markets;

SEEK TO SUPPORT the growth and development of small and medium-sized enterprises by enhancing their ability to participate in and benefit from the opportunities created by this Agreement;

UNDERTAKE each of the preceding in a manner that is consistent with the enhancement of environmental protection and conservation and sustainable development, the enforcement of environmental laws and regulations, and strengthened cooperation on environmental matters;

PROTECT AND ENFORCE basic workers’ rights, strengthen cooperation on labour matters and build on their respective international commitments on labour matters;

SEEK TO INCREASE women’s access to and benefit from the opportunities created by this Agreement by advancing cooperative activities and removing constraints to their full participation in their economies and international trade;

ENCOURAGE enterprises to respect, on a voluntary basis, corporate social responsibility standards and principles and pursue best practices;

PROMOTE broad-based economic development in order to reduce poverty and improve living standards; and

PRESERVE in a manner consistent with this Agreement their flexibility to safeguard the public welfare;

while also:

RECOGNISING that states have the right to preserve, develop and implement their cultural policies for the purpose of strengthening cultural diversity, given the essential role that cultural goods and services play in the identity and diversity of societies and the lives of individuals;

WISHING to create a framework for promoting investment and cooperation;

RECALLING the mutual interest of Israel and Canada in reinforcement of the multilateral trading system as reflected in the WTO;

RECALLING that the Parties entered into a Memorandum of Understanding on 27 September 1976 establishing a Joint Economic Commission, which was continued under a Memorandum of Understanding on Economic Cooperation entered into on 5 August 1993;

FURTHER RECALLING that this Agreement, which entered into force on 1 January 1997, established a free trade area consistent with Article XXIV of GATT 1994; and

DECLARING their readiness to explore other possibilities for extending their economic relations to other fields not covered by this Agreement;

HAVE AGREED as follows: