Canada’s ATT Legislation Has A Loophole You Could Drive A Tank Through
Canadian military exports to the United States have long been exempted from licensing and reporting requirements applicable to every other destination. Not even Canada enjoys the same latitude it affords its southern neighbour.
As indicated in the annual Report on Exports of Military Goods from Canada, most military exports destined for the United States are exempt from export permit requirements. Further, statistics related to exports of military goods and technology to this country therefore are not reported.
In June 2016, Canada finally announced that it would accede to the Arms Trade Treaty, making questions about the compatibility of exemptions to the United States with the expectations and promises of greater rigour and transparency around military exports more pressing. But Bill C-47, the draft ATT legislation tabled in Parliament on April 13, contains no provisions to end these special exemptions.
