MONTREAL — The updated and expanded Canadian-Israeli free trade deal includes a chapter on gender equality that is the first of its kind in the world, International Trade Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne said Monday. Canada’s new trade deal with Israel also maintains a controversial article that recognizes merchandise from occupied territories such as the West Bank as products of Israel. What’s unique to this trade agreement is the provision that places the chapter on gender equality under the scope of the dispute settlement mechanism of the larger agreement, Champagne said. The original free trade deal between Canada and Israel came into force in January 1997, which governed the roughly $1.7 billion in two-way merchandise trade between the two countries in 2017. “In international trade law, the way a territory is defined is the physical territory where the customs law apply.

Source: National Post May 28, 2018 21:09 UTC