CETA and Nova Scotia : Who pays for "free" trade?

Negotiations on the Comprehensive and Economic Trade Agreement (CETA) were officially launched in 2009. The Canadian government claims the agreement will be finalized by the end of 2012. Close consideration of the probable costs and benefits of the CETA for Nova Scotia reveals that the agreement's benefits are being oversold, while its costs and consequences are minimized or even ignored. The lack of transparency about the specifics, the complexity of the CETA negotiations and the lack of up-to-date specific data related to Nova Scotia make this analysis difficult to undertake, but all the more important. This report is a step toward remedying the unjustifiable lack of transparency about the CETA and in stimulating much-needed public debate about its potential impacts on Nova Scotia.