Canadian sub-federal governments and CETA: Overarching themes and future trends
| Date | 01 December 2013 |
| Published date | 01 December 2013 |
| Author | Christopher J Kukucha |
| DOI | 10.1177/0020702013509321 |
| Subject Matter | Policy Briefs |
International Journal
68(4) 528–535
!The Author(s) 2013
Reprints and permissions:
sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav
DOI: 10.1177/0020702013509321
ijx.sagepub.com
Policy Brief
Canadian sub-federal
governments and CETA:
Overarching themes and
future trends
Christopher J Kukucha
Department of Political Science, University of Lethbridge,
Lethbridge, AB, Canada
Abstract
Canadian provinces and territories have gained increasing relevance in matters of inter-
national trade over the last several decades. The possibility of a Canada–European
Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, however, marks the first
time that sub-federal governments in Canada have been directly involved in specific
areas of negotiations. The significance of this development, examined in this series of
policy papers, can be organized under five overarching themes: 1) the negotiation,
ratification, and implementation of foreign trade agreements; 2) the need to distinguish
between process activity and actual policy outcomes; 3) the ongoing relevance of
Canadian federalism; 4) the impact of non-governmental actors, especially civil society;
and 5) the differing interpretations of academics, practitioners, business, and societal
groups.
Keywords
Canada, European Union, federalism, provinces, territories, CETA, TIEA, civil society,
practitioners, trade policy, sub-federal governments
The pursuit of a Canada–European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade
Agreement (CETA) was praised by Canadian analysts from the outset for its
potential economic benefits. Although the European Union (EU) was already
Canada’s second leading trading partner, a joint report estimated that a new agree-
ment would expand bilateral trade by 20 per cent and spur a growth in Canada’s
Corresponding author:
Christopher J Kukucha, Department of Political Science, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB T1K
3M4, Canada.
Email: christopher.kukucha@uleth.ca
To continue reading
Request your trial