Environment concerns in trade talks with China progressing well, says McKenna
OTTAWA — Environment Minister Catherine McKenna says Canada and China have made good progress on environmental laws and regulations that are among the barriers to launching official free trade talks.
McKenna is in China this week as part of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s trade mission, as well as for meetings of her own aimed largely at connecting Canadian clean tech companies with Chinese enterprises.
Trudeau left China on Thursday without officially launching the formal free trade talks the two countries have been working towards, citing issues such as gender, the environment and labour among the sticking points.
Some Canadian businesses fear less-stringent Chinese regulations and laws could make it harder for them to compete in a free trade environment.