Domestic Trade
Trade, Investment and Labour Mobility Agreement (TILMA)
In April 2006, British Columbia and Alberta signed the Trade, Investment, and Labour Mobility Agreement (TILMA) at the provinces’ 4th annual joint Cabinet meeting in Edmonton.
The need for such an agreement is clear. Canada’s constitution forbids the levying of tariffs on inter-provincial trade in goods. However, it does not prohibit many other types of provincial restrictions that often hinder cross-border commerce. Most current internal impediments to trade stem from discriminatory treatment of out-of-province goods, businesses and suppliers; restrictions on labour mobility; and differing provincial standards and regulations in a variety of areas.
Under TILMA, the standards and regulations that operate to restrict or impair trade, investment or labour mobility between both provinces have been identified and mutually recognized or reconciled. This process minimizes regulatory differences and creates a more open, competitive economy where goods, services, certified workers and investments can move freely between the two provinces.
For businesses, TILMA eliminates unnecessary differences in standards and regulations, simplifies business registration and reporting, eliminates residency requirements, makes transportation easier, and extinguishes subsidies. TILMA also mitigates labour shortages of skilled workers for business through its labour mobility provisions.
Increased worker mobility is perhaps the biggest breakthrough in the TILMA. Labour mobility is driven by skill shortages, major infrastructure projects and global competitiveness. TILMA facilitates labour mobility for trades people and professionals. Labour mobility refers to the freedom of certified workers and professionals to practice their occupation wherever opportunities exist. Previously, workers in regulated occupations found their qualifications might not be recognized by other provinces or territories and they were often subject to reassessments with additional training and costs before they could practice their occupation, if not barred altogether.
TILMA states that “any worker certified for an occupation by a regulatory authority of a Party shall be recognized as qualified to practice that occupation by the other Party”. This means that workers will not be individually assessed or required to undergo additional exams and training if they want to practice their occupation outside of their home province.
These provisions make it easier for businesses to recruit workers, reduce costs in both time and money for workers moving from one province to another, and create greater consistency in recognizing the credentials and qualifications of foreign-trained professionals to address labour market needs.
TILMA came into force on April 1, 2007, and after a two-year transitional period, took full effect on April 1, 2009. If you have any questions about TILMA, contact
TILMABC@gov.bc.ca.
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