On 22 September 2023, President of Ukraine V. Zelenskyy and Prime Minister of Canada D. Trudeau signed an updated Free Trade Agreement between Ukraine and Canada in Ottawa, Canada.

On 27 January 2022, Mary Ng, Minister of International Trade, Export Promotion, Small Business and Economic Development of Canada, and Yulia Svyrydenko, First Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Economy of Ukraine, announced the start of negotiations on updating the 2017 Agreement.

The negotiations resulted in a modernised Agreement that includes specific new chapters on cross-border trade in services, financial services, investment, temporary entry for business persons, telecommunications, trade and gender, trade and small and medium-sized enterprises, trade and indigenous peoples, and good regulatory practice.

The agreement also contains updated chapters on digital trade, rules of origin, competition policy, monopolies and state-owned enterprises, public procurement, environment, labour, transparency, anti-corruption and responsible business conduct.

Ukraine and Canada have agreed on up-to-date lists of all restrictive measures and indications of possible future reservations on market access and national regime applied by the parties in the area of cross-border trade in services and investment. These lists reflect the regimes of both parties in the service sectors/sub-sectors, providing transparency and predictability for both Ukrainian and Canadian service providers and investors.

The modernised Agreement marks an important milestone in Canada-Ukraine relations and will contribute to the deepening of economic relations between the two countries. 

In this regard, the Ministry of Economy is publishing the text of the Agreement in the subsection “Regional Trade Agreements” of the section “Preferential Trade Agreements” to familiarise the public and business community with its provisions before the Agreement enters into force.

The Free Trade Agreement between Ukraine and Canada will enter into force on the first day of the second month following the receipt of notification of the completion by the Parties of their procedures necessary for the entry into force of this Agreement or on 1 January 2024, whichever is later.