June 19, 2017

The Government of Canada is seeking comments from the public before the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) formal negotiations begin. The request asks for comments to help inform Canada in defining objectives and priorities for the modernization of NAFTA.

NMMA Canada will be engaged and working with government to ensure recreational boating priorities are included, and we need to hear from you to help us outline the industry’s priorities. Please provide feedback by June 27 on your concerns and priorities when it comes to NAFTA. Your perspective is important and will better equip us with the necessary information to best represent boating interests during renegotiations.

Please review the following questions and send your comments to Sara Anghel at sanghel@nmma.org:

• In your view, what should be a priority for the Government of Canada in the renegotiation of NAFTA (e.g. trade areas, practices, issues)?
• Are there elements of NAFTA that are working well and should be preserved or improved upon?
• Are you aware of any trade practices, laws or regulations in the United States, and/or in Mexico, that undermine or could undermine meaningful market access for Canadian goods and services?
• Are there any new issues that you believe should be incorporated into NAFTA, or are there issues that you believe should be expanded upon to reflect advancements since NAFTA was originally negotiated?
• Other comments

The Government of Canada is seeking views on the following areas included in NAFTA:
• Preamble
• Objectives
• General Definitions
• National Treatment and Market Access for Goods
• Annex 300-A: Trade and Investment in the Automotive Sector
• Annex 300-B: Textile and Apparel Goods
• Rules of Origin
• Annex 401: Specific Rules of Origin
• Customs Procedures
• Energy and Basic Petrochemicals
• Agriculture and Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures
• Emergency Action
• Standards-Related Measures
• Government Procurement
• Investment
• Cross-Border Trade in Services
• Telecommunications
• Financial Services
• Competition Policy, Monopolies and State Enterprises
• Temporary Entry for Business Persons
• Intellectual Property
• Publication, Notification and Administration of Laws
• Review and Dispute Settlement in Antidumping/Countervailing Duty Matters
• Institutional Arrangements and Dispute Settlement Procedures
• Annexes
• Annex I: Reservations for Existing Measures and Liberalization Commitments
• Annex II: Reservations for Future Measures
• Annex III: Activities Reserved to the State Annex IV: Exceptions from Most-Favored-Nation Treatment
• Annex V: Quantitative Restrictions
• Annex VI: Miscellaneous Commitments
• Annex VII: Reservations, Specific Commitments and Other Items

The text of NAFTA can be found at this link.

NAFTA also includes a side agreement on labour and a side agreement on environment. Submissions of views on these agreements are also welcome.

New trade areas

In recent years, some free trade negotiations have included other areas not currently in NAFTA. The Government invites submissions of views on the following areas, but not necessarily limited to

• Transparency and anti-corruption;
• E-commerce;
• Trade facilitation;
• Development of small and medium-sized enterprises;
• State-owned enterprises;
• Cooperation and capacity building; and
• Regulatory coherence.

If you would also like to make a submission on behalf of your company/organization please click here.