The Minister of Public Safety, Democratic Institutions, and Intergovernmental Affairs, Dominic LeBlanc, announced the creation of the Canadian Internal Trade Data and Information Hub.
This announcement was made during the Canadian Chamber of Commerce’s annual Hill Day, attended by business and trade leaders. The new hub is designed to provide open and accessible data on key sectors such as agriculture, energy, and transportation, along with insights into the movement of goods and services and interprovincial labour mobility.
The platform features user-friendly tools, graphics, and visualizations developed by Statistics Canada in partnership with the Privy Council Office. These elements aim to deliver valuable insights across the Canadian economy and identify opportunities to enhance internal trade.
Minister LeBlanc emphasized that this resource would help federal and regional governments collaborate more effectively to identify and eliminate interprovincial trade barriers. Additionally, it will assist Canadian businesses and workers in making informed decisions about investments and employment.
This initiative is part of the Federal Action Plan to Strengthen Internal Trade, which seeks to reduce the trade barriers that inflate costs for Canadian businesses and consumers. "Good data is key to decision-making for governments and businesses," stated Minister LeBlanc. "The new Canadian Internal Trade Data and Information Hub provides critical information which will enable us to make it easier for businesses to trade within Canada. In partnership with provinces, territories, and businesses, our government will continue to identify and remove barriers to trade and labor mobility and make life more affordable for all Canadians."
The hub also includes results from the 2023 Canadian Survey on Business Conditions. It will soon feature data from the upcoming Canadian Survey on Interprovincial Trade, set to begin in the summer of 2024. This forthcoming survey will provide a detailed view of businesses' perspectives and experiences with internal trade.
Statistics show the significant role of internal trade in the national economy. Over $525 billion worth of goods and services move across provincial and territorial borders annually, representing nearly 19 percent of Canada's GDP. Additionally, one-third of Canadian businesses engage in internal trade, a figure that rises with the size of the business.