Urgent Need to Prioritize Internal Trade 

With upcoming tariffs now confirmed, the discussions during the First Ministers Meeting on rapidly advancing internal trade are move in the right direction. This is an issue the Canadian Chamber of Commerce and the Chamber Network across Canada has long championed and is a serious win for every province and territory. But talk needs to turn into action. 

Why this matters: Breaking down outdated, self-imposed barriers is one of the biggest economic opportunities we have — and it’s one we can’t afford to waste. Interprovincial trade drives one-fifth of Canada’s GDP, yet internal trade barriers still act like a 21% tariff. Removing them could boost GDP per capita by 4%. That’s real growth—right here at home—at a time when businesses and workers need it most. Internal trade must be a key aspect of our Canada-U.S. trade strategy—let’s control what we can control. Read the Statement from the Canadian Chamber. Read our policy recommendations on the need for interprovincial trade.  

What solutions will help you compete with new trade challenges? 

With the United States set to impose tariffs on Canadian imports starting February 4, 2025, it will create new challenges for Alberta businesses. Your local Chamber of Commerce, alongside the Alberta Chambers of Commerce (ACC) and Canadian Chamber network is gathering insights from businesses like yours to understand: 

• Barriers limiting your ability to respond  
• Government actions that would help you stay competitive  
• Priorities to strengthen Canada’s economic resilience  

Contributing your insights will take just 1–2 minutes. Your input will directly shape advocacy efforts and amplify the voice of Alberta’s business as our province and nation navigate forward. The link will remain open until February 7th at 4:00 p.m. MT Share your insights: https://research.albertaperspectives.ca/jfe/form/SV_eCzGlBcy73sVEeq 

We want to hear from you to help amplify the message around impacts to business. Some questions we are hoping to be able to answer: How much could tariffs on aluminum cost Americans more for beer? How much could medical equipment costs go up in a way that makes their healthcare even less affordable? How could customers at major U.S. restaurants expect to see the menu prices jacked up as a result of increased meat costs? Please let us know how you may be impacted by the tariffs on your sector, business or supply chain partners. 

As the Chamber network, we want to be able to express a broad cross-section of impacts across the board, localizing and laying out Canada’s value-add for Americans. We’ll take any and all examples—big and small alike. Help us tell your story today!