Recommendation #2—Facilitate Cross-Border Mobility of Business People to Support Services Trade

When thinking of NAFTA, the free flow of goods between Canada, the U.S., and Mexico is generally what comes to mind, especially since the first wave of liberalization was focused on eliminating tariffs. However, just as important is the cross-border flow of business people—essential for firms to identify trade and investment opportunities and execute on them. Unfortunately, there are still significant barriers to the mobility of business people across borders. Reducing these barriers should be a priority for Canada.
Cross-border mobility of business people is essential to unlock the full potential from trade and investment opportunities. For our closely integrated North American economies to operate efficiently, thousands of business people need to cross North American borders daily, whether it is to oversee an expansion project, meet prospective clients and suppliers, or deliver a service.
To encourage cross-border trade and investment in the region, NAFTA’s Chapter 16 facilitates the temporary entry of four categories of business persons: business visitors, professionals, intra-company transferees, and traders and investors. Table 2 summarizes these categories, along with their respective visa requirements, in both Canada and the United States.