Talkonomics 5: Interprovincial Trade Barriers
Why is trade between Canadian provinces sometimes more difficult than trade abroad?
Despite being one of the world’s most open economies, Canada continues to face persistent interprovincial trade barriers - rules that restrict labour mobility, constrain competition, and fragment the national market. These barriers generate real efficiency losses, raise consumer prices, and limit long-run economic growth. Understanding their legal and economic foundations is essential for students, policymakers, entrepreneurs, and researchers alike.
This month, we are pleased to host Ryan Manucha, one of Canada’s leading experts on interprovincial trade, constitutional economic policy, and regulatory modernization. Ryan is a Research Fellow at the C.D. Howe Institute, and his insights are frequently sought by federal and provincial governments, regulatory agencies, and national media.
His award-winning book, Booze, Cigarettes, and Constitutional Dust-Ups: Canada’s Quest for Interprovincial Free Trade, is widely regarded as the most comprehensive modern analysis of Canada’s internal trade regime. Blending economic history, constitutional law, and policy analysis, it reveals why internal barriers persist - and what it would take to build a truly integrated national market.
Snacks and beverages will be provided.
Participants will explore:
• Why interprovincial trade barriers persist despite decades of reform
• The economic costs of Canada’s fragmented internal market
• How regulatory differences affect productivity, competition, and labour mobility
• Policy pathways toward a more integrated and efficient Canadian economy
• The constitutional dynamics shaping internal trade disputes
📅 Wednesday, January 21st, 2026 @5-7pm
📍 University of Calgary - Hunter Student Commons (HNSC 128)
🎓 Hosted by the Society of Undergraduates in Economics (SUE) in collaboration with the Institute for Liberal Studies.