François-Philippe Champagne, Canada’s finance and national revenue minister, has announced the appointment of Eric Wildhaber to a five-year term as vice chairperson of the Canadian International Trade Tribunal (CITT).
In a news release from Canada’s finance department, Champagne shared that the CITT has also added the following as temporary members: Greg Gallo to a 15-month term, Michèle Govier to a six-month term, and Randolph W. Heggart to a three-year term.
The news release noted that the appointments aim to help CITT fulfill its mandate to examine and advise on various international trade issues.
More on Wildhaber
According to the biographical notes, Wildhaber has served as the CITT’s secretary. At the tribunal, he previously accepted appointments as a temporary member for a three-year term starting on July 25, 2022, and for an additional three-year term beginning on July 25, 2025.
Before joining the CITT, he served as a lawyer and executive in the federal public service for many years, including at the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade and at Natural Resources Canada.
Wildhaber also held senior legal counsel and executive responsibilities for the Public Servants Disclosure Protection Tribunal, the Competition Tribunal, and the Administrative Tribunals Support Service of Canada.
At the Occupational Health and Safety Tribunal Canada, he served as executive director and general counsel and as coordinating appeals officer by designation of the labour minister.
Wildhaber gained admission to the Quebec bar in 1997. He has been a member of its Committee for Access to the Profession.
At the University of Ottawa (Section de droit civil), he has lectured on public procurement law. He obtained his BA in history and his JD in common law from the University of Ottawa. He earned his LLB in civil Law from the Université de Montréal.
About CITT
As an independent, quasi-judicial adjudicative body, the CITT reports to Parliament via the federal finance minister. The CITT’s tasks include:
- performing inquiries into dumping, subsidy, and procurement complaints
- hearing appeals of decisions of the Canada Border Services Agency and the Canada Revenue Agency
- conducting safeguard inquiries
- advising the government and/or the finance minister on economic, trade, and tariff issues
The news release noted that the CITT aims to help ensure a fair and secure Canadian marketplace and the fair, transparent, and timely adjudication of trade and tariff matters involving domestic and international businesses.