NAFTA – Trade Justice Network

Category: NAFTA

CUSMA: Not the progressive deal Canadians were promised

As the Canadian government takes steps towards ratifying the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA), known widely as the new NAFTA or NAFTA 2.0, many concerns remain for all people in Canada. At the outset of the rollercoaster negotiations beginning in August 2017, Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland outlined the “progressive trade” principles that her government committed […]

New NAFTA still needs overhaul

OTTAWA (Oct. 3, 2018) — Today, the Trade Justice Network, along with Common Frontiers and the Council of Canadians, released the following joint statement: After weeks of intense negotiations behind closed doors, a renegotiated North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) has emerged. Like the original NAFTA, the new U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, or USMCA, falls short when […]

Unions and climate organizations come together to call for more equitable and sustainable trade

Unceded Algonquin Anishinaabe Territories [OTTAWA] (May 2, 2018) — As the ongoing NAFTA renegotiations reach a pivotal moment, nearly 50 of Canada’s major labour, climate and social justice organizations have come together to call on the Canadian Government to honour its commitment to implement a progressive trade agenda and to embrace trade policies that are compatible […]

Pan-Canadian civil society coalition launches new website

December 8, 2017 — Today, the pan-Canadian civil society coalition on NAFTA launches its new bilingual NAFTA website. The pan-Canadian coalition, which emerged from the North American civil society gathering on NAFTA in Mexico City in May 2017, is made up of labour, environmental, farmer, social justice and other civil society groups across English-speaking Canada and Quebec. […]

The Demise of NAFTA: Threat or Opportunity for Change?

The ongoing NAFTA renegotiations have prompted governments, analysts, civil society, and the broader public to wonder: what would the elimination of NAFTA mean for Canada? This question has understandably triggered a great deal of anxiety amongst Canadians. However, many researchers and commentators have entered the debate to highlight that the demise of corporate trade deals like […]

Trinational coalition delivers 400,000 petitions demanding end to ISDS

October 11, 2017 – As the debate over investor protections was heating up with the start of the fourth round of NAFTA talks in Washington, D.C., US, Mexican and Canadian civil society organizations delivered over 400,000 petitions to Capitol Hill demanding that NAFTA’s expansive corporate rights and protections and Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) be eliminated during […]

Trade rules must not prevent action on climate change

The Trade Justice Network joined over 30 labour, environmental, social justice and faith-based organizations in signing an open letter on NAFTA, the environment and climate change. The open letter calls upon the Canadian government to address environmental concerns in NAFTA and to ensure that the new North American trade deal currently being negotiated does not undermine […]

Civil Society Summit: Does NAFTA Serve the Public Interest?

As the third round of NAFTA negotiations are set to begin in Ottawa, civil society groups will be holding their own meetings. Given that this will be an important round, it is essential that our voices are heard. The Trade Justice Network is working together with Common Frontiers, the Council of Canadians, Réseau québécois sur […]

NUPGE Statement on New NAFTA Advisory Council on the Environment: serving the interests of industry?

The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE), a member organization of the Trade Justice Network, released the following statement regarding the new NAFTA Advisory Council on the Environment: Ottawa (11 Sept. 2017) — There is great concern, apprehension, and suspicion from labour and environment groups following a recent announcement by the federal environment minister, […]

Trade Justice Network Calls for Fairer Trade Model in NAFTA Renegotiations

Press Release OTTAWA — A coalition of Canada’s largest unions and civil society groups is calling on the Canadian government to pursue a fairer, more socially just model of trade in the NAFTA renegotiations. Today, Global Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland appeared before the House of Commons Committee on International Trade to outline the government’s NAFTA […]