IMF head praises Canada-EU trade deal
Lagarde believes rise in protectionist sentiment in Europe has affected in the commencement of the deal. However, she commended the agreement after meeting Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who lately spoke about the anti-globalization movements at the G20 leaders’ summit in China.
"Given that the trade agreement seems to be a very reasonable, very sensible and very good deal between the partners, I would hope very much that it can be completed, agreed, put to bed and implemented," Lagarde said.
Canada and the EU have pledged to sign the free trade deal this year and endorsing it further from 2017. However, the agreement that was negotiated under the former Conservative government, faced criticism in Europe.
In an earlier discussion this month, International Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland mentioned the rise in anti-trade movements had complicated free talks with the EU. Freeland, however calls this deal a gold-plated one as it will open broader doors for Canada to access a market of more than 400 million people.
Lagarde also admired Canada’s economic policies including promotional international trade and infrastructure spending as mediums of boosting growth.
"And I really, very much hope that Canadian economic policies can actually go viral and that this energy and this passion for openness can be sufficiently contaminating, including in European Union," Lagarde said.
(Reporting by Debarati Mukherjee)
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