Canada Releases Draft Text of Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement

(Minister of International Trade)

The Honourable Peter Van Loan, Minister of International Trade, today [April 22] announced that Canada has joined 36 other negotiating countries in releasing the draft consolidated text of the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement, following the eighth round of negotiations that took place from April 12 to 16, 2010, in Wellington, New Zealand.

“Canada has been a leader in calling for greater transparency throughout this process. I am pleased to see that our partners have agreed to release the draft text,” said Minister Van Loan. “We will continue to consult with a broad range of stakeholders to ensure this agreement reflects the best interests of Canadians.”

The Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement aims to combat the criminal trade in counterfeit and pirated goods. The countries negotiating the agreement are Australia, the European Union and its member countries, Japan, Mexico, Morocco, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, Switzerland and the United States. The next round of negotiations will take place in Switzerland in June 2010.

A draft copy of the text can be found online here.