Culturescope.ca - Cultural Exemptions in Canada's Major International Trade Agreements and Investment Relationships [In Brief]

Home Research Themes Cultural Policy Trade Cultural Exemptions in Canada's Major International Trade Agreements and Investment Relationships [In Brief] "Canada has joined the global economy by signing a number of international trade agreements. These agreements include certain cultural provisions allowing Canada to continue to support its domestic cultural industries. For example, the cultural industries were exempted from the provisions of the Canada-United States Free Trade Agreement (FTA)."

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"To date, trade disputes between Canada and the United States involving the cultural industries have been resolved informally, outside the dispute settlement procedure established through the FTA and NAFTA.(2)

In the realm of multilateral trade agreements, the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) deals with goods and the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) deals with services. For the purposes of these agreements, the products of the publishing and sound recording industries are generally considered goods, and are ruled by the GATT, while the audiovisual services of the broadcasting and film industries are generally considered services, and are ruled by the GATS. Through a complex system of exclusions, exemptions, commitments and qualifications available to all parties, Canada has attempted to shelter its cultural industries from the provisions of both agreements."

Posted Document	culturalexemptions.pdf 25.54 KB
Creator(s)	Parlimentary Research Branch
Source Location	Canada

Date Published	1999-10-12
Language	Bilingual
URL	http://www.parl.gc ...
Copyright Holder	Parlimentary Research Branch