Trade agreements support the exchange of goods and services between Ontario and other countries and provinces. Trade agreements and procurement practices are built on the fundamental principles of Fairness, Transparency and Reciprocal Non-Discrimination.

Ontario is a party to two domestic trade agreements:

• Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA), a pan-Canadian trade agreement that replaced the Agreement on Internal Trade (AIT), and took effect on July 1, 2017
• Ontario-Quebec Trade and Cooperation Agreement (OQTCA), a comprehensive bi-lateral agreement with the province of Quebec (aligns with CFTA)

Ontario is also subject to international trade agreements, including:

• The Canada-European Union (EU) Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) which took effect on September 21, 2017
• The World Trade Organizationl Agreement on Government Procurement (WTO-GPA)

As a publicly funded institution, the University is subject to the procurement obligations of all applicable trade agreements. University's procurements must be compliant with the requirements outlined in the chapter of Government Procurement in these trade agreements.