Canada has promoted reduced barriers to multilateral trade since the Havana Conference of 1947, which launched the General Agreement on Tarriffs and Trade. In 1989, Canada signed a free trade agreement (FTA) with the United States. In 1994, Mexico joined the group through the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Both of these agreements initially sparked a great deal of political controversy in Canada.
However, they have opened up markets and created tremendous opportunities for Canadian entrepreneurs. Our exports have flourished as a result. But freeing up trade means more than setting up regional free-trade blocs, such as NAFTA and the European Union. Canada is hoping to see meaningful progress at the World Trade Organization’s Doha round of multilateral talks.