Canada and the United Arab Emirates signed a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, a free trade deal, in Ottawa on Tuesday. The agreement is intended to lift bilateral trade to 7 billion US dollars within a decade.
Tariff terms
Upon entry into force, the UAE will grant preferential access on 93.4 percent of tariff lines. That covers 93.6 percent of current Canadian exports to the Emirates. Duties will ultimately be removed on more than 97 percent of tariff lines, and on more than 99 percent of current Canadian exports.
The text sets out tariff reductions on bilateral trade lines between the two countries. Those rules take effect once the deal is in force.
Path to ratification
The signing clears the way for Canada’s Parliament to ratify the agreement. Negotiations concluded in July, after the two countries announced in November 2025 their intention to launch talks.
Several memoranda of understanding were signed alongside the deal, covering energy, defence, and diplomatic learning and development. Prime Minister Mark Carney is seeking to diversify Canadian trade beyond the United States.
