Canadian Mutual Recognition Agreement on the Sale of Goods

Overview

The Canadian Mutual Recognition Agreement on the Sale of Goods (CMRA) is an unparalleled agreement negotiated by federal, provincial, and territorial governments. It reduces barriers to the sale of goods across Canada by ensuring that a product that may be lawfully sold in one province or territory may be sold across Canada without having to meet further requirements – unless a government has identified a specific rule that still applies.

The CMRA was developed in response to direction from First Ministers and the ministerial  Committee on Internal Trade (CIT). It builds on the work of the Regulatory Reconciliation and Cooperation Table (RCT), reflecting a shared commitment to eliminate impediments to domestic trade in Canada, and further establishing Canada as an international leader in reducing domestic trade barriers.

The CMRA aligns with the legislation recently adopted by many governments across Canada to remove interprovincial trade barriers and unlock economic opportunities for Canadian businesses.

The following Parties have signed the CMRA:

Alberta, British Columbia, Canada, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Québec and Saskatchewan.

Purpose

Each of the federal, provincial, and territorial governments across Canada regulate the sale of goods to protect health, safety, and the environment, among other reasons. But when rules differ or are duplicative between jurisdictions, they can create extra costs and delays for businesses. The CMRA helps resolve this by allowing a good that meets the rules in one province or territory to be sold in others. Governments can still choose to apply a specific rule by listing it in their annexes.

Key Benefits

• Less Complexity: Businesses no longer need to review the rules in 14 different jurisdictions to determine which regulatory requirements might apply to sell goods across the country.
• Lower costs: Companies operating across multiple provinces will have lower compliance costs as they avoid duplicative testing, certification, and paperwork.
• Production Efficiencies: Companies no longer need to adjust their products to meet different provincial or territorial requirements, thereby saving time, increasing productivity, and lowering costs.
• Small business benefits: Small and medium-sized businesses that might lack the resources to navigate multiple regulatory systems will especially benefit from having more seamless access to a larger domestic market.
• More consumer choice and lower prices: As businesses benefit from these new domestic opportunities, Canadians should see greater product choice and lower prices across the country.
• Transparency: Businesses will know whether they must meet an additional requirement to sell a good in another province or territory. Any such requirements are listed in the annexes of the CMRA. If no requirements are listed, the product may be sold there.

How It Works

The CMRA applies to the sale of a wide range of goods – including appliances, industrial machinery, vehicles, electronics, furniture, clothing, household goods, etc.

If a good may be lawfully sold in one province or territory, it may be sold across the country without having to meet additional testing,  certification or other requirements – unless a government has identified a specific requirement it will retain.

What is Not Covered

Certain types of goods are not covered by the CMRA including food, live animals, alcoholic beverages, cannabis, tobacco, and plants.

The CMRA does not currently apply to how a good is sold, or who may sell or purchase it.

Backgrounder

Global trade is changing – to ensure Canadian businesses can succeed in this new environment, we must continue to develop new markets. This work begins at home by creating a strong Canadian economy.

Currently, differences in or duplication of regulatory requirements among provinces and territories can make it harder and more expensive for businesses to sell their products nationwide. Yet Canada’s economy works best when businesses can sell their products across the country without unnecessary impediments.

Federal, provincial, and territorial governments have finalized the Canadian Mutual Recognition Agreement on the Sale of Goods (CMRA) – an unparalleled agreement that creates a more seamless internal market for goods.

The CMRA introduces a simple principle: if a good may be lawfully sold in one province or territory, it may be sold across the country – without having to meet additional rules or approvals for sale. This principle will govern the sale of applicable goods across Canada unless any specific additional rules apply, which will be listed for the relevant Party in its annex to the agreement.

The CMRA applies to goods covered under Chapters 25-97 of the Harmonized System (HS), which includes most manufactured and industrial goods. It does not apply to food, beverages (including alcohol), cannabis, tobacco, plants, or live animals. The agreement focuses on rules that govern the sale of goods. It does not affect, for example, rules on who may sell or use a good, licensing requirements to sell a good, or age restrictions to purchase a good.

The CMRA incorporates the CFTA general exceptions, including those related to Indigenous peoples, water, language, and culture. It also preserves the right of governments to regulate for health, safety, and environmental protection. Governments must list any such requirements they wish to maintain in the annex, supporting transparency for businesses.

The CMRA came into effect on November 19, 2025. However, for certain Parties, it comes into effect on or before June 30, 2026 (as stipulated in their annex). On the ground, businesses will steadily find new trading opportunities and less costly ways to sell goods across the country as the Parties implement the CMRA in their respective laws.

The CMRA marks a major achievement in building a stronger, more integrated, and more competitive Canadian economy – one that helps businesses grow and consumers access more choices at lower prices.

For more information, including a copy of the text of the agreement and annexes, visit rct-tccr.ca. A User Guide for Businesses is expected to be available in the new year.

Q&A

Q1. What is the CMRA?

The CMRA is a pan-Canadian agreement that allows goods lawfully sold in one province or territory to be sold in another without facing further requirements, unless listed in an annex in the agreement.

Q2. What types of goods are covered?

Goods under HS Chapters 25–97 are covered, which include goods from clothing, household goods, and children’s toys to steel products, industrial goods, and cars.

Q.3 What types of goods are not covered?

Goods under HS Chapters 1-24 are not covered, which include food, beverages (including alcohol), tobacco, cannabis, plants, and live animals.

Q4. Which governments are covered by the CMRA?

The CMRA applies to federal, provincial, and territorial governments that have signed the agreement. Municipal and regional governments are not covered.

Q5. What types of rules are covered by this agreement?

The CMRA covers rules on the sale of a goods related to composition, performance, production, quality, marketing, labelling, testing, or certification. Such rules could feature across different types of regulatory measures, including any decree, regulation, standard, order, requirement, procedure, process, assessment, legislation.

Q6. What types of rules are not covered?

The CMRA does not affect rules on how a good may be sold or the conduct of the sellers. It also does not affect who can sell, purchase, posses or use a good; licensing, registration or authorization requirements to sell a good; or the circumstances in which a good may be sold, for example, age restrictions to purchase a good.

The CMRA incorporates the CFTA general exceptions, including those related to Indigenous peoples, water, language, and culture. It also preserves the right of governments to regulate for health, safety, and environmental protection.

Governments must list any such requirements they wish to maintain in the annex, supporting transparency for businesses.

Q7. How does the CMRA apply to the federal government?

For the Government of Canada, the agreement only applies to federal requirements that govern the interprovincial movement of goods when there is also a comparable provincial or territorial requirement. This ensures the agreement focuses on reducing overlap between federal and provincial/territorial requirements, while respecting provincial/territorial jurisdiction.

Q8. Does the CMRA undermine safety, consumer, environmental or other protections?

No, the agreement does not undermine these protections and governments retain their ability to regulate in accordance with their rights and priorities. Governments may continue to require businesses to meet applicable rules or standards (e.g., due to regional differences or unique safety or consumer protection objectives) by listing them in the annexes, which may be update ay anytime.

Q9. How does the CMRA differ from internal trade legislation?

In 2025, federal, provincial, and territorial governments have taken unprecedented steps to remove internal trade barriers by introducing internal trade legislation to facilitate trade between provinces and territories, including through mutual recognition. These statutes vary and cover a range of aspects including goods, services, and/or labour mobility.

The CMRA supports these efforts, creating mutual recognition obligations on the sale of goods that apply across the country.

Q10. When does the CMRA take effect?

The CMRA is already in effect, with most jurisdictions having signed it on November 19, 2025. For certain Parties, the agreement comes into effect on or before June 30, 2026 (as stated in their annex). Ultimately, each Party will need to implement its CMRA obligations through legislation and/or regulations.

Q11. How will businesses and consumers be informed?

The CMRA and the current annexes for federal, provincial and territorial governments are available on the Regulatory Reconciliation and Cooperation’s website at rct-tccr.ca.

A User Guide for Businesses is expected to be published on the website in the new year.

Q12. How will the CMRA save businesses time and money?

By removing the need to meet different and/or duplicative requirements on the sale of goods across Canada, the CMRA helps companies trading across multiple jurisdictions to reduce regulatory compliance costs and avoid delays related to duplicative testing, certification, and paperwork. In addition, companies would no longer need to adjust their products to meet different provincial or territorial requirements, thereby saving time, increasing productivity, and lowering costs even further. Small and medium-sized businesses that might lack the resources to navigate multiple regulatory systems may especially benefit from having more seamless access to larger domestic markets.

The CMRA also enhances transparency for businesses and investors, creating a “one-stop shop” to identify the requirements to be met for a good to be sold across Canada once it may be lawfully sold in one jurisdiction. Businesses can easily identify whether they must meet an additional requirement to sell a good in another province or territory, as the requirement would be listed in an annex of the CMRA.

Q13. Do I need to apply for anything to benefit from the CMRA?

No application is needed. If your product meets one government’s rules on the sale of that good, you can sell that good across Canada without meeting any additional rules, unless an additional rule has been listed in an annex to the agreement.

Q14. How do I know if there are additional rules, I must meet to sell my product?

If a government has decided to maintain a specific additional rule concerning the sale of a good, it will be listed in its annex.

Federal, provincial and territorial laws continue to apply. It is important businesses continue to comply with the rules in each jurisdiction. Please check the annexes posted on the Regulatory Reconciliation and Cooperation’s website at rct-tccr.ca. Independent legal advice is recommended.

Q15. Can governments update their annexes or rules/regulations?

Governments may update their annexes and/or rules and regulations at any time. The most recent version of the CMRA is available at rct-tccr.ca.

Federal, provincial and territorial laws continue to apply. It is important businesses continue to comply with the rules in each jurisdiction

Q16. Is the CMRA permanent?

Yes, the agreement is permanent. Any party may however withdraw from the agreement by giving written notice to the other parties.

Q17. How does this help me compete internationally?

By improving internal trade for the sale of goods, the CMRA makes it easier for businesses to expand to new domestic markets. Selling goods in other provinces and territories is often the first step for small and medium businesses to build capacity and increase efficiency before exporting internationally.

Last Updated: January 5, 2026