In September 2012, Canada signed a Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (FIPA) with China. FIPAs are Canada’s name for bilateral investment treaties, which are used by large global corporations to challenge public policies or local decisions that stand in the way of their profits. The first Canadian FIPA was a single chapter (Chapter 11) of the North American Free Trade Agreement. Due to the extreme investment protections included in NAFTA, Canada was forced to pay out $160 million to large U.S. corporations that challenged certain public decisions, including environmental policies. Some Canadian mining companies are using FIPAs in their work in developing countries to seek compensation following opposition from communities struggling against the implementation of megaprojects.
A promise is a promise! Liberal government should end back-room, corporate trade negotiations
Free trade agreements have consistently worked against the interests of people and the planet. Trade deals are hatched in secret, ...
Guelph chapter opposed to glass factory that would draw 1.6 million litres of water a day
Guelph chapter activist Ron East at a GET Concerned meeting, June 18. Twitter photo by Wellington Water Watchers. The Council ...
Did the Canada-China FIPA influence Trudeau’s decision to buy the Kinder Morgan pipeline?
Is it possible that the Canada-China Foreign Investment Protection and Promotion Agreement (FIPA) was a factor influencing Prime Minister ...
What is the current status of the Canada-China Free Trade Agreement talks?
The Council of Canadians were outside the Prime Minister's Office in April 2017 to call on him to stop exploratory ...
Submission to the Canada-China Trade Consultations, Global Affairs Canada
The Council of Canadians' submission to Global Affairs Canada's consultations on the Canada-China free trade agreement. Submitted by Sujata Dey, ...
Council of Canadians visits Langevin Block to ask Trudeau to stop Canada-China FTA talks
The Council of Canadians asked Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to stop the Canada-China Free Trade Agreement talks this afternoon. Exploratory ...
BC regional health authorities should block sale of seniors’ homes given Canada-China FIPA
When the Trudeau government approved the sale last week of a chain of retirement homes to Cedar Tree Investment ...
