OTTAWA, Ontario | Canada has formally confirmed plans to introduce a national ban on trade in goods from Israeli settlements, joining France and the United Kingdom in a new economic measure targeting Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria, commonly referred to internationally as the West Bank.
The commitment was contained in a Sept. 8 joint statement published by Global Affairs Canada and signed by the foreign ministers of Canada and 11 European countries.
The statement says Canada, France and the United Kingdom “will bring forward national measures to ban trade in settlement goods.”
However, the Canadian government has not yet identified which goods will be affected, how the restrictions will be implemented or when they will take effect.
The announcement therefore represents a policy commitment rather than evidence that a Canadian prohibition on settlement goods is currently in force.
The measure marks a further step in Ottawa’s efforts to apply economic pressure over Israeli settlement policy and comes amid heightened diplomatic tensions between Israel and several Western governments.
Global Affairs Canada said the action is intended to protect the possibility of a two-state solution.
“The Government of Israel’s actions in the West Bank are undermining the possibility of a two-State solution,” the joint statement said.
The governments cited what they described as “unprecedented levels of settler violence and settlement expansion,” including Israel’s decision to publish tenders connected to the E1 development project.
The statement said Prime Minister Mark Carney, French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Andy Burnham had agreed on the need for further action.
Canada, France and UK Commit to National Bans
Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom issued the broader declaration.
Those governments confirmed they intend to introduce national restrictions, support European restrictions on trade with settlements, or are actively considering such measures under their respective domestic procedures.
Canada, France and the United Kingdom went further by explicitly committing to national measures banning trade in settlement goods.
The three countries also welcomed measures previously taken by Belgium, Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands and Norway.
The Canadian statement did not specify whether the proposed measure would prohibit imports only, exports as well, or other forms of commercial trade.
It also did not list affected products, explain how Canadian authorities would determine whether a product originated in a settlement, identify the legislation or regulation used to impose the prohibition, or provide an implementation date.
Those details will be critical to determining the policy’s practical economic effect.
Ottawa Cites Settlements and Palestinian Displacement
The governments said they “firmly oppose actions tantamount to the annexation of Palestinian land and forcible displacement of the Palestinian population.”
They called on Israel to halt settlement expansion and changes to civilian administrative authority, address violence by Israeli settlers and investigate allegations involving Israeli forces.
The joint statement characterizes the settlements as illegal under international law, reflecting the position taken by Canada and the other participating governments.
Israel has historically disputed aspects of the international legal characterization of settlements and the status of the territories captured from Jordan during the 1967 Six-Day War.
The future status of Judea and Samaria remains one of the central unresolved issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Statement Also Recognizes Israeli Security Concerns
While announcing further pressure on Israel, the participating governments also addressed Israeli security concerns and condemned Hamas.
The statement reaffirmed its signatories’ condemnation of the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack against Israel and called for the release of hostages.
It also said the countries recognized Israel’s security concerns and remained committed to combating antisemitism.
The governments framed the settlement trade measures as part of an effort to preserve a negotiated two-state solution rather than as action against Israel as a whole.
The planned restrictions nevertheless create a new distinction in Canadian trade policy between goods originating inside Israel’s pre-1967 lines and those produced by Israelis in communities beyond the 1949 armistice lines.
Implementation Details Still Pending
Global Affairs Canada’s announcement leaves major questions about how the Canadian prohibition will operate.
The government did not provide an effective date and has not yet published an accompanying product schedule or detailed enforcement framework in the statement.
That distinction matters for Canadian consumers, importers, and Israeli exporters.
The Sept. 8 announcement confirms that the Carney government intends to proceed with national measures. It does not establish that all trade involving settlement goods became prohibited on Sept. 8.
Further federal action will therefore be required before the practical scope and consequences of Canada’s planned ban can be assessed.
The official Global Affairs Canada statement is available through the Government of Canada
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