New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador sign agreement to knock down trade barriers – New Brunswick

The premiers of New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador signed a commitment today to consider how both provinces can knock down labour and trade barriers.

The country’s two Liberal premiers announced the agreement in St. John’s, N.L., saying their goal is to allow workers and goods certified in one province to be given the same clearance in the other.

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Andrew Furey, Newfoundland and Labrador’s outgoing premier, said the memorandum of understanding will allow officials in both provinces to start discussing changes “where they make sense.”

For example, he said rules requiring Newfoundland and Labrador seafood processing plants to favour locally caught fish are not up for discussion.

Other provinces, including Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Ontario, have entered into similar agreements to encourage an interprovincial flow of goods and workers as the country faces economic threats from the United States.

New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt said today she is hoping to strike a similar arrangement with Quebec Premier François Legault.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 24, 2025.