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NEWS RELEASES

Immediate release Ottawa, April 30, 1999
99-042

GOVERNMENT OF CANADA INVITES REQUESTS FOR ACCELERATED TARIFF ELIMINATION UNDER THE NAFTA AND THE CANADA-CHILE FREE TRADE AGREEMENT

Finance Minister Paul Martin and International Trade Minister Sergio Marchi today invited interested parties to submit requests for early tariff elimination, with Mexico under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), and with Chile under the Canada-Chile Free Trade Agreement (CCFTA).

The trade ministers of Canada, the United States and Mexico announced at the April 23, 1999, NAFTA Commission meeting in Ottawa that governments have developed new streamlined procedures to continue accepting submissions for accelerated tariff elimination under the NAFTA. In addition, Ministers Martin and Marchi noted that there has been interest from some Canadian firms in exploring accelerated tariff elimination with Chile.

Like previous rounds of tariff acceleration under the Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement, NAFTA and CCFTA-accelerated tariff elimination is industry driven. Governments negotiate only on requests that are in the national interest and that enjoy broad-based support in their industries.

Ministers Martin and Marchi noted that the early elimination of tariffs will allow industry sectors that are ready to reap the full benefits of the NAFTA and the CCFTA to do so ahead of schedule. Details on how Canadian companies can submit proposals under the NAFTA and the CCFTA will be published in separate notices in Part I of the Canada Gazette on May 1, 1999.

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