Arms exports now controlled by Trade Minister.

In a move that could weaken Canada's military export controls, responsibility for the export of Canadian military goods has been moved from the Minister of Foreign Affairs to the Minister of International Trade. On December 12, 2003, the day Paul Martin was sworn in as Prime Minister, a governmental order-in-council divided the former Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT) into Foreign Affairs Canada (FAC) and International Trade Canada (ITC). A concurrent order-in-council transferred "certain portions" of Foreign Affairs to International Trade. Although the order does not explicitly state this, an official in the Export Controls Bureau has confirmed that responsibility for export controls now lies with the Minister of International Trade. The Minister's new tasks will include final approval of military export permits, the establishment of control lists required by the Export and Import Permits Act, and the tabling in Parliament of the government's annual report on Canada's arms exports.

By virtue of the special controls placed upon their transfer, military exports are acknowledged by governments worldwide as an exceptional category to be handled in a manner consistent with their Canadian and international security implications. In Canada, the review system for weapons exports involves consultation among several government departments, including the Department of National Defence and Foreign Affairs Canada.

Concerns that the assignment of primary responsibility for export controls now placed within ITC will weaken Canadian export control standards stem from the fact that the Trade Minister is not the one most briefed on changing conditions in human rights, armed violence, and other factors that must be weighed in making export permit decisions. The Trade Minister also will not be the most briefed on Canada's efforts to monitor and improve international controls on arms transfers, diplomatic work that will be retained by Foreign Affairs Canada. Instead, the Trade Minister may be more inclined to approve or deny export permit requests with a view to their impact on the trade balance sheet.