The government introduced Bill C-39, the Building Canada Strong Act, last week, and while it emphasized faster project approvals, public discussion has focused almost entirely on the implications for collective bargaining rights. Given those twin issues, it is perhaps unsurprising that the creation of an entirely new digital trade statute has gone unnoticed. Buried toward the end of a 232-page bill, the Enabling Digital Trade Act would be the first federal law on electronic trade documents such as bills of lading, an issue with real implications for bringing digital technologies to shipping and supply chains. Because these digital issues are unlikely to attract much attention, this post unpacks the provisions and their implications.

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