From December 13, 2025 to January 27, 2026, Global Affairs Canada launched a series of consultations to gather input from Canadian civil society on several free trade agreements, with a view to informing various ongoing negotiation processes. Potential free trade agreements with India, the United Arab Emirates, Thailand, as well as the countries of Mercosur, were covered by these consultations.

The CDCE submitted a brief in response to each consultation. Its comments and recommendations focus primarily on the need to include a general cultural exemption clause in any prospective free trade agreement. Such a clause is essential to preserve Canada’s sovereign right to adopt measures and policies aimed at protecting and promoting the diversity of cultural expressions within its territory.

Read the submission (Mercosur, India, UAE)

Read the submission (Thailand)