The Canadian Federation of Independant Business (CFIB) gave Saskatchewan an overall score of 7.7 which equals a B- grade, on their Interprovincial Cooperation Report Card following their latest State of Internal Trade report. The grade reflects the province’s moderate progress in reducing internal trade barriers.

The report evaluates three core areas of interprovincial and territorial cooperation: the number of Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA) exceptions, select trade barriers, and progress on reconciliation agreement commitments. A newly updated bonus indicator also rewards jurisdictions that accept other provinces’ regulations and standards as equivalent to their own.

A factor in the grade is Saskatchewan signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Ontario recognizing goods, professional credentials, labour mobility, and direct-to-consumer alcohol sales.  Additionally, Saskatchewan continues to co-lead national efforts establishing a pan-Canadian framework for alcohol shipment. Following that, under its Labour Mobility and Fair Registration Practices Act, the province has accelerated credential recognition for both interprovincial and international workers.

However, the province’s grade declined slightly from the previous year due to a lack of urgency overall, with removing interprovincial trade barriers, compared to other provinces who have accelerated in their broad reforms and legislation.

“Saskatchewan has taken some meaningful steps to reduce trade barriers, but to stay competitive, the province must go further,” said Brianna Solberg, CFIB’s Director for the Prairies and the North.  “The next step is for Saskatchewan to embrace unilateral recognition – a strong framework that allows goods, services, and labour from other provinces to be accepted automatically.

Nova Scotia received the highest overall score of 9.4 granting them a grade A, closely followed by Ontario with 9.2, also an A grade.

Read CFIB’s full Canada’s Interprovincial Cooperation Report Card here.