More Trade, Not Less Protection for Workers – Unifor

June 10, 2025

When we talk about building a new Canada through improved interprovincial trade and labour mobility, it’s tempting to think the biggest obstacles are bothersome regulations. But let’s not kid ourselves—what’s holding us back isn’t a patchwork of rules; it’s a patchwork of roads, rails, rivers, and rugged terrain.

Canada is vast. We have a country that spans oceans, mountain ranges, prairies, and arctic tundra—with weather, terrain, and distances that rival entire continents. A recent study from Statistics Canada found the main barrier to interprovincial trade isn’t regulation—it’s geography. Yet, governments and business groups focus on “cutting red tape” rather than building roads, rail lines, or the infrastructure that could actually move goods and people more safely and efficiently across provinces.

Let’s be clear: there are no tariffs blocking internal trade in Canada. Instead, “internal trade barriers” are often code for regulation—including health and safety rules, occupational credentials, local hiring policies, public ownership models, consultation and cooperation requirements with First Nations, Metis and Inuit populations, community benefit requirements, or special collective bargaining rights like those in the Newfoundland fisheries. These aren’t inconveniences, and they are hardly “red tape” —they’re hard-won policies that protect workers, communities, and our public interest.