International Trade Agreements & Compliance

Our International Trade lawyers leverage their wide-ranging experience advising businesses and governments on international trade relations and negotiations, including bilateral, multilateral and multinational agreements and treaties, to develop strategies for regulatory compliance while enabling clients to expand their markets and optimize their business opportunities. Our work in this practice area includes:

Providing guidance on the negotiation, interpretation and application of Canada’s international trade agreements, including advising on the full suite of trade issues and public policy considerations under the World Trade Organization; the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) and its predecessor, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA); the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA); and other bilateral and regional trade and investment agreements to which Canada is a party, such as with Chile, Israel, Korea, Peru, among others
Representing companies and governments in trade disputes
Advising on Canada’s interprovincial trade agreements, including the Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA), formerly known as the Agreement on Internal Trade (AIT); the Trade Investment and Labour Mobility Agreement (TILMA); and the Trade and Cooperation Agreement between Ontario and Quebec

Recent Experience

One of the world's largest retail companies on the negotiation of the Canada-India bilateral investment treaty.
Examined the alternative models that could be employed for negotiating investment and service provisions in the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), and in particular, assessed the benefits and disadvantages of a NAFTA model compared to other models recently adopted by the EU.
A leading energy producer with respect to an assessment on whether two pieces of mining legislation implicate the expropriation provisions of the NAFTA.
The second-largest producer of distilled spirits and wines on the WTO and NAFTA consistency of a North American government’s alcoholic beverages distribution and pricing practices and intellectual property protection of “geographic indications.”
A North American government to provide a legal opinion on the consistency of supply management programs regulating various agriculture and agri-food commodities (chicken, dairy, meat) in the light of several WTO decisions and rulings.