MONTREAL — Quebec is taking some halting steps toward scrapping interprovincial trade barriers with measures that will reduce red tape for funeral directors, real estate brokers and racehorse owners.
The government announced today it is planning to withdraw at least five of its exemptions to the Canadian Free Trade Agreement as part of a countrywide effort to boost internal trade.
Once the changes are made, people who want to register racehorses or become funeral directors will no longer have to have lived in Quebec for several months beforehand.
Real estate brokers will not need to have an office in Quebec to work in the province, and board members with Quebec’s ferry authority will be free to live outside the province.
The government says it may still scrap more of its 36 exemptions to the national free trade pact after Ottawa announced last month it would remove more than half of the federal exemptions to the agreement.
Quebec says it’s also working toward an agreement with other provinces on the mutual recognition of most consumer goods.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 19, 2025.
The Canadian Press
