Canada-UK Trade Continuity Agreement (UK TCA)

The Canada-United Kingdom Trade Continuity Agreement, commonly called the Canada-UK TCA, is an international free trade agreement between Canada and the United Kingdom. Its full name is the Agreement on Trade Continuity between Canada and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It entered into force on April 1, 2021, and it includes government-procurement obligations for both countries (Treasury Board Secretariat contracting policy notice 2021-1).

The agreement was created to preserve the relevant Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) arrangements for Canada and the United Kingdom after the United Kingdom left the European Union. For government procurement, it incorporates CETA's obligations by reference. Canadian federal buyers treat it as one of the trade agreements that can apply to a purchase, alongside CETA and the Canadian Free Trade Agreement.

How the UK TCA mirrors CETA procurement rules

The UK TCA does not write a new procurement rulebook. Its government-procurement obligations incorporate those of CETA by reference. The incorporated rules cover procedural requirements, market access, covered entities, covered goods and services, and financial thresholds (Treasury Board Secretariat).

The Canada Revenue Agency makes the same point in its trade-agreement appendix, stating that the Canada-UK TCA's procurement obligations are identical to those already established in CETA (Canada Revenue Agency procurement policy, Appendix A). A supplier that understands how CETA coverage works therefore already understands how the UK TCA works.

Where the UK TCA appears in federal procurement

CanadaBuys lists the agreement by its full name, the Canada-United Kingdom Trade Continuity Agreement (Canada-UK TCA), in its official list of trade agreements (CanadaBuys list of trade agreements). Buyers must consider trade-agreement applicability for each procurement, including procurements made through supply arrangements. Whether the agreement applies depends on the procuring entity, the value of the procurement and the goods or services being purchased (CanadaBuys trade agreement applicability).

• Federal departments and agencies: The Treasury Board Secretariat tells departments and agencies to assess whether the agreement applies and to identify it where required.
• Public Services and Procurement Canada: PSPC is responsible for following the procedural rules of the trade agreements that cover a procurement it conducts, including the Canada-UK TCA (PSPC briefing materials).
• Notices and limited tendering: Procurements subject to free trade agreements generally require a notice of intended procurement, unless an exception or limited-tendering provision applies. When a contract is directed to one supplier, the buyer must identify the exclusion or justification that allows it (Supply Manual, Chapter 3 annexes).

Dredging services under the UK TCA

CanadaBuys identifies dredging services as covered specifically by CETA and the Canada-UK TCA. Where those agreements apply, Canadian-, EU- and UK-made dredging equipment and vessels are permitted for dredging procurements and for construction-services procurements that include dredging (CanadaBuys trade agreement applicability). Marine contractors and equipment owners should check the solicitation for this coverage before deciding what vessels to propose.

What the UK TCA means for a supplier bidding on Canadian public contracts

A supplier does not submit a separate Canada-UK TCA certificate because the agreement is listed in a tender notice. The agreement's procurement obligations fall mainly on the government buyer, who must follow the procedural and market-access rules. The supplier's job is to respond to the solicitation, meet its technical and administrative conditions, and rely on any market-access rights that apply.

When a tender notice lists the Canada-UK TCA, read it as a signal that the procurement falls within CETA-style coverage and that the buyer is bound by those rules. Read the notice and the solicitation documents for the specific trade-agreement coverage, any exceptions, and any limited-tendering justification.