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The Council calls on Trudeau to immediately withdraw from the Trans-Pacific Partnership

Chrystia Freeland at the TPP signing ceremony in Auckland, New Zealand, February 2016


While the Trudeau government is now admitting the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) cannot happen, it has yet to formally withdraw from the deal.


On Monday (January 23), US President Donald Trump signed a memorandum that formally signals the withdrawal of the United States from the TPP.


On Tuesday, Foreign Affairs minister Chrystia Freeland said, “This agreement was so constructed that it can only enter into force with the United States as a ratifying country. So the TPP as a deal cannot happen without the United States being a party to it.”


But the Toronto Star reports, “Speaking with reporters Tuesday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau declined to say whether he supports efforts to continue the TPP negotiations without the United States.”


On November 22, 2016, the Toronto Star reported, “A Canadian government official, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the issue, said no decision on pulling out of the TPP becomes final until February 2018. When the participating countries signed the agreement last February in New Zealand, that two-year time frame was built into the process to take into account the domestic political situations in all 12 countries, the official said.”


Despite the clear opposition expressed at TPP hearings, consultations and protests, Trudeau has stated, “In our conversations with Canadians, with industries which are ongoing, there are a lot of people in favour of it and there are a few who have real concerns and we’re looking at understanding and allaying certain fears and building on some of the opportunities.”


And commenting on the TPP, Trudeau has highlighted, “We established very clearly during the campaign that we’re a pro-trade party.”


The Council of Canadians calls on the Trudeau government to abandon any efforts to save the Trans-Pacific Partnership and immediately withdraw from the deal.


For more on our campaign to stop the TPP, please click here.