Canada's progressive trade agenda: engaging with Africa to support inclusive gains under the African continental free trade area

Scepticism towards trade liberalisation, and regional and global trade integration has been observed in recent years, driven by concerns that the benefits of globalisation have not been fairly distributed. In this context, Canada has introduced it's "Progressive Trade Agenda" (PTA) to enhance Canadians' understanding of the benefits that trade can bring, and to ensure that these benefits accrue to all Canadians. Although there exist challenges with the way Canada's PTA is currently understood, particularly beyond Canadian borders, the central argument of this article is that the concept can provide important insights from an African perspective. The article provides insights on how Canada can engage with Africa to support monitoring the implementation of the recently signed African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement, with a view to ensuring inclusive gains, in addition to highlighting opportunities for Canada in a rapidly expanding and integrated African market.