Civil society leaders call for halt to Canada-Ecuador free trade agreement

OTTAWA — Several Canadian organizations and civil society leaders are calling for a halt to a Canada-Ecuador free trade agreement, which they say will pose a risk to the environment and exacerbate a human rights crisis in the South American country.

Negotiations on the trade pact concluded in early 2025 and the proposed deal would see Ecuador remove tariffs effectively on all Canadian goods.

But critics say the deal aims to increase Canadian mining investment.

Secretary General of Amnesty International Canada Ketty Nivyabandi said in a news release published by MiningWatch Canada that Indigenous women in Ecuador worry it will exacerbate human rights concerns related to mining operations.

Amnesty said in 2024 that more than a dozen Canadian mining companies had active operations in Ecuador. It said many were facing allegations of abuse, including conducting activities in Indigenous territories without consultation or consent and collaborating with state security forces to violently suppress social protest.

Peggy Nash, a former NDP MP and executive director of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, said the agreement must be rejected as long as it privileges corporations and investors over people and the planet.

The Canadian Press has reached out to the government for comment on the concerns and an update on when the free trade agreement will be implemented, but has not yet received a response.

Minister of International Trade Maninder Sidhu told a House of Commons committee in October that the agreement is modern and ambitious and will create new opportunities for Canadian exporters, especially in clean technology and agriculture.

Canada and Ecuador launched free trade agreement negotiations in April 2024, which concluded in January 2025.

A government news release at the time said the Canada-Ecuador Free Trade Agreement will include details on labour protections, environmental safeguards and ethical business standards.

In May 2025, while in Quito for Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa’s inauguration, Sidhu signed a joint statement with Ecuador celebrating the conclusion of negotiations.

The government’s website says bilateral trade between Canada and Ecuador reached $1.9 billion in 2024.

It says the countries have complementary trade relations, with Canada importing mostly tropical fruits, flowers, cacao and seafood from Ecuador. It says Ecuador imports mostly wheat, lentils and peas from Canada.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 7, 2026.

Catherine Morrison, The Canadian Press