Memorandum of Understanding with Prince Edward Island

WHEREAS the Canadian economy is currently subject to economic and geopolitical uncertainty, including various tariffs and tariff threats on Canadian products, which threaten Canadian workers and businesses;

AND WHEREAS the Parties are committed to significantly expanding the ability of workers and businesses within their respective jurisdictions to take advantage of commercial opportunities across Canada, and in doing so strengthen Canada’s economy;

AND WHEREAS the Parties trust federal, provincial and territorial regulatory bodies to make sound decisions that put the safety of Canadians first;

AND WHEREAS the Parties are committed to significantly reducing barriers to trade with other federal, provincial and territorial governments, including through the ongoing work of the Committee on Internal Trade under the Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA);

AND WHEREAS New Brunswick has demonstrated leadership by enacting legislation to improve interprovincial labour mobility;

AND WHEREAS Prince Edward Island has demonstrated leadership by introducing the Interprovincial Trade and Mobility Act, aimed at leveraging mutual recognition to reduce administrative burden and barriers to trade with other provinces and territories.

AND WHEREAS New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island have enacted legislation enabling direct-to-consumer (DTC) sales of alcoholic beverages and both New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island are signatories to the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) committing to advance DTC.

Through this Memorandum of Understanding, the Parties agree as follows: 

1. Work towards removing internal trade barriers between the Parties, so as to improve interprovincial labour mobility, flow of goods, services, and investment that will contribute to sustained economic activity.

2. Through New Brunswick’s Fair Registration Practices in Regulated Professions Act and Prince Edward Island’s Interprovincial Trade and Mobility Act, and any additional legislation that may be required in the future by either of the Parties, they will strive to ensure that a regulated worker that is deemed acceptable for work in New Brunswick, is deemed acceptable for work in Prince Edward Island – and vice versa.

3. Through any additional legislation that may be required in the future by either of the Parties, they will strive to ensure that a good or equivalent service that is deemed acceptable for sale or use in New Brunswick, is deemed acceptable for sale or use in Prince Edward Island – and vice versa.

4. New Brunswick will enable DTC sales from Prince Edward Island by August 1, 2025. Parties will work together to establish a mutual DTC framework that will enhance market opportunities for producers and increase consumer choice in both provinces. The Parties will also engage in discussions on additional opportunities to improve diversity of available alcoholic products between each other’s jurisdictions 

5. Encourage other Canadian jurisdictions that have not already done so to join New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island in driving progress on internal trade by tabling their own legislation to remove barriers to trade across Canada, including through regulatory recognition. 

6. Further facilitate interprovincial labour mobility by working together to identify options to align regulated occupations and registration, while maintaining and strengthening levels of public safety. 

7. New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island will work towards the non-application of Party Specific Exceptions (PSE) under the CFTA for each other. 

8. This Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) sets out the understanding of the Parties with respect to their cooperation but is not legally binding and does not create any legal, equitable or financial rights, obligations or liabilities for either of the Parties. 

Signed on the 21st day of July in the year 2025 in Huntsville, Ontario.

Premier Susan Holt 
Government of New Brunswick

Premier Rob Lantz
Government of Prince Edward Island