Canadian International Trade Tribunal (CITT) Inquiry

A Canadian International Trade Tribunal (CITT) inquiry is the Tribunal's formal examination of a complaint from a potential supplier. The supplier alleges that a federal government procurement covered by applicable trade agreements was run unfairly, discriminatorily, or in a way that breaks Canada's trade-agreement obligations. The CITT is Canada's federal bid-challenge authority for these covered procurements, and it can review procurement practices and issue recommendations or other remedies (Treasury Board policy material).

For suppliers, the inquiry is the formal route for challenging a federal solicitation, a bid evaluation, or a contract award. It sits outside the buying department. Public Services and Procurement Canada guidance tells evaluators to keep complete evaluation records, because failing to apply solicitation requirements can lead to a CITT complaint or a court challenge (PSPC assessor guidance).

Which procurements a CITT inquiry can cover

The CITT's procurement jurisdiction concerns federal government procurement that falls under one or more trade agreements. These include:

• The Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA)
• The Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA)
• The World Trade Organization Agreement on Government Procurement (WTO-AGP)
• The Canada-Chile Free Trade Agreement (CCFTA)
• Other applicable trade agreements

Whether the Tribunal can act depends on whether the procurement is covered by an applicable agreement and whether the complaint fits the statutory and regulatory framework (PSPC assessor guidance).

The legal framework behind procurement inquiries

Three instruments govern the process: the Canadian International Trade Tribunal Act, the Canadian International Trade Tribunal Procurement Inquiry Regulations, and the Canadian International Trade Tribunal Rules. The Department of Finance describes these in its transition material on portfolio organizations and their responsibilities, and again in its 2024 transition binder.

Federal solicitation documents often say so directly. A recent CanadaBuys request for proposals for a battery energy storage system, for example, states that the procurement is subject to the Procurement Inquiry Regulations (RFP 25-58199).

The rules also change. Amendments effective June 13, 2025 clarified how the CITT applies Canada's procurement trade obligations concerning reciprocity (Treasury Board policy notice 2025-5).

Disputes that lead to a complaint

A potential supplier that believes any part of a covered procurement was unfair or discriminatory can complain to the Tribunal. In practice, complaints arise from:

• The terms or conduct of a federal solicitation
• The evaluation of bids
• The application of mandatory requirements
• The award of a contract
• Alleged violations of trade-agreement procurement obligations

How a procurement inquiry differs from the Tribunal's other work

The CITT also hears trade-remedy, customs, and excise matters, and it uses the word inquiry for some of that work. Its 2025 inquiry into certain carbon or alloy steel wire from several countries is one example. That kind of case is not a procurement complaint. The Tribunal's role across these functions is outlined in the Administrative Tribunals Support Service Info Source. A procurement inquiry concerns a federal buyer's conduct toward a bidder.

What a CITT inquiry means for a supplier

If you bid on federal work covered by a trade agreement, the CITT is your outside check on the process. Read the solicitation to see whether it cites the Procurement Inquiry Regulations and which agreements apply. Complaints are made under the CITT Rules and the Regulations, so follow their procedural requirements and time limits closely. Keep your own records of questions, amendments, and the evaluation criteria you answered. Buyers keep detailed evaluation records because a complaint is a real possibility, and your bid file should be just as complete.