Canadian Free Trade Agreement — Transport Minister Designated

Summary#

This order (registered as SI/2025-19 on February 26, 2025) names the Minister of Transport as the federal minister responsible for the Canadian Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act. It also repeals the prior order (P.C. 2023-776 of July 26, 2023); the order-in-council was issued as P.C. 2025-89 on February 12, 2025.

What it does#

• Repeals the previous designation, P.C. 2023-776 (the earlier order that assigned responsibility).
• Designates the Minister of Transport as the minister responsible for the Canadian Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act.
• The change was made by the Governor General in Council on the recommendation of the Prime Minister.

Who's affected#

• Most directly: federal officials and teams who administer and report on the Canadian Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act (now under the Minister of Transport).
• Possibly affected indirectly: provincial and territorial governments and organizations that interact with the federal government about the Canadian Free Trade Agreement.
• The Gazette notice does not give details about operational or program-level changes, so the practical effects beyond the administrative designation are unclear.

Why it matters#

• It clarifies which federal minister is officially responsible for the act.
• That matters for accountability, for where to send questions or requests about federal implementation, and for who will represent the federal government in dealings tied to the act.