Assessing Measures to Strengthen Interprovincial Trade, Nation Building
This report examines Bill C‑5, the One Canadian Economy Act, as a structural turning point for Canada’s internal market. The publication highlights how persistent interprovincial trade barriers, estimated to cost up to $200 billion annually, undermine competitiveness and resilience, even as Canada remains highly open internationally. Bill C‑5 seeks to address these frictions by promoting regulatory mutual recognition, labour mobility and faster approvals for nationally significant infrastructure projects.
For financial institutions and policymakers, the analysis underscores both opportunity and risk. While the legislation could unlock growth in infrastructure finance, cross‑provincial services and trade‑linked banking, its success hinges on execution. Centralized approvals, uneven provincial cooperation, fiscal pressures and governance gaps introduce material credit, liquidity, ESG and reputational risks. The paper concludes that institutions that proactively integrate these dynamics into scenario planning, pricing and governance frameworks will be best positioned to capture upside while safeguarding resilience.