I am not aware of any studies that have provided such estimates, but the situation is definitely evolving rapidly. As has been mentioned, since the Agreement on Internal Trade was implemented in 1995, interprovincial barriers have been trending downward. When we consult stakeholders, they talk about the barriers we have mentioned—those that apply to alcohol, spirits, red meat, fruits and vegetables, and processed products.
I cannot really speak to the size of those estimates. However, I can tell you that the industry stakeholders we are talking to—especially those involved in processing—are telling us that the regulatory measures, which are added on to processing costs, are often among their main concerns.
In addition, federal, provincial and sometimes even municipal regulations are not always aligned. The administrative cost of complying with the rules can be very high, especially for small and medium-sized companies.
That's why I suspect that regulatory complexity plays an important part in estimating the cost of interprovincial trade barriers.