Inclusive trade means free trade deals for businesses big and small

Learn more about the School of Business and the Doctor of Business Administration. 

Free trade between nations is about the big players — multinationals and corporate conglomerates with thousands of employees, dozens or hundreds of locations, and platoons of lawyers and accountants — right? 

Not if Juan Navarro has a say in it. 

Navarro, an associate faculty member in Royal Roads’ School of Business, a consultant at his research firm CMX Partnerships, and a current PhD student in the university’s Doctor of Business Administration program, was part of a group of speakers at a recent forum on inclusive trade. 

The Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) forum was organized by the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada in collaboration with Global Affairs Canada. It brought together trade ministers, business leaders, scholars and experts from CPTPP member countries, including Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Singapore, the U.K., Mexico, Chile and Peru. 

“The best advice for business is to diversify, and today that principle holds even greater significance as we prepare for a new trade relationship with the U.S., where a 25 per cent tariff on Canadian exports may be imposed. Therefore, Canadian businesses of all sizes must leverage free trade agreements, such as the CPTPP, to unlock new opportunities for their products and services.” 

A trade war between Canada, the United States, and Mexico has the potential to not only disrupt the North American market but also trigger a ripple effect that disproportionately harms small and medium-sized enterprises, particularly minority-owned businesses led by women and young entrepreneurs.

“These groups are already navigating a complex environment of limited resources, restricted access to capital, and fewer growth opportunities, making them especially vulnerable to the economic fallout,” Navarro says.

As such, Forum discussions focused on how to make the CPTPP agreement more inclusive of underrepresented groups, such as women, youth and Indigenous entrepreneurs, with the goal of enhancing the trade pact’s accessibility and expanding its benefits to companies of all sizes and sectors. 

“What we are trying to pursue in this inclusive trade agenda is trying to make it easier for all businesses to participate in international trade, making use of free trade agreements,” Navarro says. “We are particularly interested in in opening the door for youth, women and Indigenous entrepreneurs. 

“The idea of the inclusive trade is that everybody gets the benefits, that everybody can see the results of free trade in their own businesses, creating more jobs, creating better salaries and, in this way, trying to give better opportunities for all.” 

The key, he says, is information. 

“The entrepreneur needs more information on how to start a business in another country, what are the different market entry options that they have available, as well as more advisory [support] during the beginning, so that they can succeed and move forward.  

Navarro hopes his work as a researcher and educator will help provide marginalized entrepreneurs with the tools they need to succeed in a global marketplace, despite all the challenges at play.  

“I think providing meaningful training that equips them with the tools needed to deal with potential international trade practitioners and navigate the challenges is key. This will enable them to attract more clients in different places and be prepared for any crisis.” 

 Learn more about the School of Business and the Doctor of Business Administration.