Vote Yes
An Act to implement the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement between Canada and Indonesia
Overall, this implementing bill advances a major free trade agreement that reduces tariffs, opens a large market, and provides tools to manage injury risks, supporting prosperity and competitiveness. There are execution risks—especially enforcement capacity and sectoral adjustments—but the balance of benefits aligns with a growth agenda.
What concrete GDP, export, and job gains does the government project from CICEPA, and how will it ensure SMEs can actually use the new preferences instead of getting bogged down by rules-of-origin compliance?
If the Canadian International Trade Tribunal finds Indonesian imports are a principal cause of injury, will the government commit to deploy the Indonesia-specific safeguard within 90 days, and what transition support is planned for at-risk sectors like agri-food, apparel, and shipbuilding?
Given the shift to importer-based certificates of origin, what resources and digital tools will CBSA deploy to prevent origin fraud, block goods made with forced labour, and protect Canadians while keeping border processes efficient?
Expands access to Indonesia’s large and growing market, reducing tariffs and improving certainty for goods, services, and investment, which can raise GDP, trade volumes, and incomes.
Removes tariff barriers and allows importer-based origin certification, facilitating commerce; while it creates committees and procedures, the net effect lowers barriers to trade.
Lower input costs and wider market access can boost scale and competitiveness; safeguard provisions temper risks of injurious import surges.
Directly targets tariff elimination and market opening for Canadian exports across agriculture, resources, manufacturing, and services.
Establishes predictable rules for investors and trade in services, likely encouraging cross‑border investment, though potential ISDS exposure warrants vigilance.
Introduces some administrative costs (committees, panels, safeguards) but also simplifies some customs processes; overall efficiency impact is unclear.
Cuts tariffs (a tax on trade), reducing costs and encouraging entrepreneurship and investment, though it does not reform income or corporate taxation.
A comprehensive, national trade pact with a G20 economy and 270+ million consumers represents a large-scale strategy rather than incremental change.
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