Your bi-weekly briefing on policy developments, advocacy insights and the conversations that shape both regional progress and your business success. Good afternoon, After nearly two months stuck in political limbo, the Gordie Howe International Bridge will open next week, with six new lanes connecting Windsor and Detroit. Proposed more than twenty years ago, it will improve the connection between the supply chains in the region. A single connection point proved insufficient given the volume of trade. A single connection point is also a fitting metaphor for our overreliance on our trade relationship with the United States. The need to find new trade partners took on fresh urgency this week, with the U.S. threatening 50% tariffs on a range of Canadian goods. Diversifying trade means building towards nations ready to meet us on investment, mutual growth, and shared interest. Because we're not the only country whose trade pillars have shaken in recent years, now is the time to meet others in the middle. Fadwa Mohanna, CEO of One37, put it well at our World Trade Centre Toronto’s Leaders in Export Excellence event last week: "The doors have never been so open." The process of finding new partners is already underway. Canada is building outward, with investment in Brazil, agreements with the Philippines, and a submarine deal with Germany. Others are building toward us, with Australia, Saudi Arabia and Singapore expected to attend Prime Minister Carney's Canada Investment Summit in September. There's work to do at home too. Canada's own internal rules and barriers, the ones that shape how goods and labour flow between provinces, need attention. As Canada prepares to welcome global business leaders, uniting our $3-trillion domestic market is one way to show the world we're serious — the subject of a report we'll release next week. None of this means walking away from the bridges already in place. The U.S. relationship remains Canada's most important connection; even with more tariffs looming, it isn't going anywhere. Adding capacity with the Gordie Howe Bridge shows us that over the long term, the answer is to keep building. Strengthening our existing connections and building new ones is how Canada keeps growing, no matter how many barriers go up along the way. What to Expect in this Issue ▸ By the Numbers: Trade War (What Is It Good For?) ▸ 3 Questions on Building One Canadian Market ▸ Member POV ▸ Featured Events ▸ Policy at a Glance 1: National Bank Economics 2: BMO Economics 3: National Bank Economics 4: Trevor Tombe, University of Calgary 3 Questions on Building One Canadian Market One hundred and sixty years of Confederation, 160 pages of exemptions. Different rules at every provincial boundary discourage innovation, expansion and investment in productivity-boosting technologies. This isn’t a single market. Today’s barriers — many designed to protect local industries from competition — prevent our industries from growing. According to the IMF, internal trade barriers act as a 9.5% self-imposed tariff on the Canadian economy, and removing them could add $200 billion in GDP over the long run. Read more in Giles' op-ed in the Globe and Mail. 1. What's wrong with our internal market that needs fixing? “Nearly 160 years ago, when the Fathers of Confederation cobbled this country together, they created a political and economic union. It should have been the start of a single, prosperous market for the new country. Instead, Confederation laid the groundwork for one of the world’s most decentralized, fragmented federations. Ottawa and each province create their own regulations, often overlapping, often out of date.” 2. What are the barriers that need to be overcome? “It’s a tyranny of small differences. Variable licensing rules and tiny product standards differences stunt business growth by making it prohibitively expensive and time-consuming for goods and labour to move within Canada. Different rules at every provincial boundary discourage innovation, expansion and investment in productivity-boosting technologies. This isn’t a single market.” 3. How do we put our economy on a higher growth track? “If we have any ambition for our economy and want to grow it for future generations, it’s clear we’re going to have to be a lot more self-reliant. As Canada prepares to welcome business leaders from around the world for the Canada Investment Summit in September, we need to be ready to turn heads. Shifting to one competitive Canadian market of $3-trillion and 41 million people would signal that Canada is a serious place to do business.” Member POV “What's happening to global trade? It is not retreating, it is changing. It's moved from a perspective of being driven only by efficiency to one driven by resilience, and choosing your partners based on a different set of criteria.” — Walid Hejazi, Professor, Rotman School of Management, speaking at Leaders in Export Excellence 2026 “I know we tend to be apologetic and think everybody else has an advantage, but we have an amazing brand. It's opened so many doors, and being Canadian is definitely added value. I'd encourage everyone to wear it proudly, announce from the start that you're a Canadian company.” — Fadwa Mohanna, Founder and CEO of One37 and winner of Best Export Plan Award, speaking at Leaders in Export Excellence 2026 Get Involved Policy at a Glance RELATED REPORTS On our Radar: A Unified Vision for Interprovincial Trade Beyond Red Tape: Regulate for Growth The Steel Imperative: Unlocking Our Competitive Advantage in a Changing World Levelling the Playing Field: What's Needed EVENT RECAPS When Trust Travels: Leaders in Export Excellence 2026 ADDITIONAL RESOURCES Giles Gherson: Canada’s economy is splintered by a tyranny of small provincial differences Giles Gherson: Mark Carney wants Canada to compete globally, but first we must fix our regulatory mess at home Reading this as a forward? Subscribe to stay connected. 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