EU Approves CETA Deal With Canada

The European Union and Canada secured clearance on Wednesday for their contentious free-trade deal and the removal of import duties that supporters say will boost growth and jobs on both sides of the Atlantic, France24 reported. The two parties can claim a success for their open markets policy after months of protest and uncertainty and in the face of US President Donald Trump, who has withdrawn from the Trans-Pacific Partnership and wants to rework the North American Free Trade Agreement. European Parliament lawmakers backed the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement by 408-254, meaning large parts of the EU-Canada deal, notably tariff reduction, will finally enter into force some eight years after negotiations began.