Canada Prepares Trade Ban on Israeli Settlement Goods in Coordinated Move

Canada is preparing national measures to ban trade in goods from Israeli settlements, joining Britain and France in a coordinated move announced Tuesday, September 8, amid growing international pressure over settlement expansion and violence in the West Bank.

The announcement came in a joint statement by the foreign ministers of Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom. The countries said they intend to introduce national restrictions, support European restrictions on trade with settlements they consider illegal under international law, or actively examine similar measures under their domestic procedures.

Canada, Britain and France went further, confirming that they will bring forward national measures to ban trade in settlement goods. The statement also welcomed steps already taken by Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands, Norway and Belgium.

The governments linked the move to what they described as a rapidly deteriorating situation in the West Bank, citing settlement expansion, rising settler violence and Israel’s decision to publish tenders for the E1 settlement project. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Andy Burnham agreed that further action was needed to prevent additional damage to the prospects of a two-state solution.

The statement called on the Israeli government to halt settlement expansion and the extension of civilian administrative powers in the West Bank, ensure accountability for settler violence and investigate allegations involving Israeli forces. At the same time, the participating governments reiterated their recognition of Israel’s legitimate security interests and condemned the Hamas attack of October 7, 2023.

Ottawa has not yet announced when the Canadian measures will take effect or which specific products will be covered. The September 8 statement commits Canada to bringing forward national measures, but further details on implementation have not yet been released.

The coordinated measures have already triggered a sharp diplomatic response from Israel. Reuters reported that Israel ordered the closure of the British consulate in East Jerusalem following measures by Britain, France and Canada targeting trade linked to Israeli settlements.