Government of Canada appoints Chairperson of the Canadian International Trade Tribunal 

News release

December 18, 2020 - Ottawa, Ontario - Department of Finance Canada

Today, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Chrystia Freeland, announced that Frédéric Seppey will be appointed Chairperson of the Canadian International Trade Tribunal (CITT) for a term beginning January 4, 2021. Mr. Seppey will replace Jean Bédard. This appointment was made via an open, transparent, and merit-based process.

Since January 2018, Mr. Seppey has served as the Assistant Deputy Minister of Market and Industry Services at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. From 2013 to 2018, Mr. Seppey served as Canada’s chief negotiator for agriculture, where he led agricultural talks as part of the negotiations for the new North American Free Trade Agreement, the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.

With Mr. Seppey’s appointment, the CITT will be well positioned to continue to carry out its mandate to analyze and advise on a wide range of issues in the realm of international trade.

Quotes

“With his extensive experience on trade and business development, Frédéric Seppey will be an excellent Chairperson of the Canadian International Trade Tribunal. I trust he will do an outstanding job delivering on the mandate of the Tribunal. I would also like to express my sincere appreciation to outgoing Chairperson Jean Bédard for all his work over the last six years.”

- The Honourable Chrystia Freeland, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance

Quick facts

  • The CITT is an independent quasi-judicial adjudicative body that reports to Parliament through the Minister of Finance.

  • The CITT supports the government’s objective of a fair and secure Canadian marketplace by providing Canadian and international businesses with access to fair, transparent and timely adjudication of trade and tariff matters.

  • The CITT conducts inquiries into dumping, subsidy, and procurement complaints; hears appeals of decisions of the Canada Border Services Agency and the Canada Revenue Agency; conducts safeguard inquiries; and provides advice to the government and/or to the Minister of Finance on economic, trade, and tariff issues. 

  • The CITT plays a central role in administering some of the important international and Canadian rules that govern trade and, in any given year, the impact of its decisions can lead to the creation and retention of thousands of jobs in Canada.

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Contacts

Media may contact:

Katherine Cuplinskas
Press Secretary
Deputy Prime Minister's Office
Katherine.Cuplinskas@dpmo-cvpm.gc.ca

Media Relations
Department of Finance Canada
fin.media-media.fin@canada.ca
613-369-4000

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Phone: 613-369-3710
Facsimile: 613-369-4065
TTY: 613-369-3230
E-mail: fin.financepublic-financepublique.fin@canada.ca

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