Canada’s Provincial Chambers Urge Premiers to Maintain Momentum on Internal Trade

Joint business agenda urges action on nation-building and competitiveness

Charlottetown, PEI, July 21, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The chief executives of Canada’s provincial and territorial chambers of commerce today released Chambers of the Federation: An Agenda for a More Competitive Canada, a joint policy framework shared in advance of Canada’s premiers’ summer meeting in Charlottetown this week, and hot on the heels of the latest escalation in the U.S. trade war on Canada.  

The chambers welcomed recent progress on internal trade, labour mobility, and intergovernmental cooperation, and outlined practical actions that governments can advance over the next 12 to 24 months to strengthen economic resilience and competitiveness.

The framework identifies five priorities for collective action: 

1. Build one Canadian economy by advancing internal trade, labour mobility, and regulatory alignment, making this their highest joint political priority.
2. Compete globally through a ‘Team Canada’ approach, aligned with the federal government on trade, supply chain resilience, and international competitiveness.
3. Build and connect Canada’s energy and trade infrastructure by identifying nationally significant corridors and coordinating investment plans.
4. Accelerate approvals for nation-building projects by improving regulatory efficiency and certainty.
5. Strengthen domestic procurement and industrial capacity to support Canadian businesses and more resilient supply chains.

“Canada’s premiers have moved the agenda further in the last year than in the last decade,” said Daniel Tisch, President and CEO of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce and the founding chair of the Chambers of the Federation. “Now comes the hard part: implementation. That means removing internal trade barriers, accelerating nation-building infrastructure, and building more resilient, sovereign supply chains that strengthen Canada’s competitiveness.”

“Canada’s businesses are ready to build,” said Rhonda Tulk-Lane, Chair of the Chambers of the Federation and President and CEO of the Atlantic Chamber of Commerce. “They are ready to invest, hire, innovate and compete, and they need governments to move with the same urgency they do.”

She said the progress made on internal trade, infrastructure and regulatory reform must now translate into sustained action.

“We encourage Canada’s Premiers to seize this moment, work together, and turn today’s momentum into lasting action. A stronger, more competitive Canada isn’t built province by province — it is built together.”

The chamber CEOs will be in Charlottetown throughout the Summer Meeting and available to premiers, officials, and media on July 21 and 22.

Collectively, the signatory chambers represent more than 600 local chambers of commerce and 200,000 businesses of all sizes, sectors and regions.

The full framework is available at: http://www.chambersofthefederation.ca

Signatories                                                                                                                                                                  

• Rhonda Tulk-Lane, President and CEO, Atlantic Chamber of Commerce; Chair, Chambers of the Federation
• Daniel Tisch, President and CEO, Ontario Chamber of Commerce
• Véronique Proulx, President and CEO, Fédération des chambres de commerce du
  Québec
• Chuck Davidson, President and CEO, Manitoba Chambers of Commerce
• Jen Riley, President and CEO, British Columbia Chamber of Commerce
• Shauna Feth, President and CEO, Alberta Chambers of Commerce
• Prabha Ramaswamy, CEO, Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce
• Rowena House, Executive Director, Baffin Chamber of Commerce

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About the Chambers of the Federation
Chambers of the Federation is a collaborative effort among Canada's provincial and territorial chambers of commerce, presenting a joint, business-informed policy agenda to the Council of the Federation each year in support of shared economic priorities. Learn more at chambersofthefederation.ca. 

About the Ontario Chamber of Commerce
The Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) is the indispensable partner of business and Canada’s largest, most influential provincial chamber. It is an independent, non-profit advocacy and member services organization representing a diverse network of 60,000 members. The OCC convenes, mobilizes, and empowers business and local chambers in pursuit of its purpose: to bring inclusive and sustainable prosperity to Ontario’s businesses, workers, and communities.

Andrea Carmona
Ontario Chamber of Commerce
6472340255
andreacarmona@occ.ca

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