February 3, 2025 – Ottawa (Ontario) – For immediate release

Today, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre announced his plan to significantly boost internal trade in Canada, which will reduce the country's reliance on trade with the United States and could lead to an increase in GDP of over $200 billion annually, equivalent to $5,100 per person.

Main points of Poilievre's plan:

 Within 30 days of taking office as Prime Minister, he will convene provincial premiers to agree on removing as many trade exceptions as possible.

 He will prioritize the unification of transportation and trucking laws, enabling billions of dollars in goods to move across Canada from east to west rather than just focusing on north-south trade. This step alone could increase GDP by  $1.6 billion.

 Establish a “Blue Seal” for professional licensing standards, allowing doctors, nurses, and engineers to work easily across provinces, and enabling Canadians with foreign credentials to get certified and work in Canada according to local standards quickly.

Introduce a “Free Trade Bonus” for provinces, where provinces that remove trade barriers will benefit from an increase in GDP and thus increased tax revenues. Poilievre will return these increased revenues to the provinces for use in schools, hospitals, and local projects. He also confirmed that this bonus will not increase the massive fiscal deficit caused by the Liberal-New Democratic Party coalition.

Poilievre: We must become less reliant on the United States

Poilievre stated: “The tariffs imposed by President Trump are a warning to all political leaders, who are now compelled to put national interest above personal interest.” He added: “Canadians expect political leaders to take all necessary steps to make our country more self-sufficient and less dependent on Americans. This starts with internal trade.”

Trade barriers within Canada are greater than barriers with other countries

 Trade barriers between Canadian provinces are more costly than trade barriers between Canada and other countries. In 2023, international trade accounted for 66% of Canadian GDP, while interprovincial trade accounted for only 36%, a nonsensical situation according to Poilievre.

Despite having a Canadian free trade agreement, it is known for its many exceptions that weaken its effectiveness; the agreement contains 340 pages, of which 133 pages are solely dedicated to listing exceptions!

According to the Montreal Economic Institute, there are 245 different exceptions across Canada, hindering the flow of internal trade.

Expected economic impact

 According to estimates by economist Trevor Tombe, removing all trade barriers between provinces could increase the Canadian economy by 7.9%, yielding economic gains of up to $200 billion annually, equivalent to $5,100 per citizen.

 This step would not be enough to fully replace the American market, but it would help bring some business activity back within Canada and reduce the Canadian economy's reliance on external forces.

“Canada First”: Regaining control of our economy and future

 Poilievre stated: “We must regain control of our lives and our country, which means having a Conservative government that puts Canada first.”

 In short, Poilievre's plan aims to make Canada more economically independent by removing trade barriers between provinces, enhancing internal trade, and reducing reliance on the United States.