German parliament votes to ratify CETA trade agreement with Canada

BERLIN (Reuters) – Germany’s Bundestag lower house of parliament voted by a majority on Thursday to back the ratification of the European Union’s free trade agreement with Canada, five years after it provisionally went into force.

The Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) has been provisionally applied since 2017, which means some 98% of customs duties have been abolished on all goods traded between the bloc and Canada.

However, it can only enter fully into force after all 27 member states have ratified the agreement. Several member states, including Italy and France, have yet to ratify the agreement. Canada has already ratified it.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said during a visit to Canada in August that the agreement still had great potential, including increasing cooperation on important minerals and, in future, hydrogen.

(Reporting by Christian Kraemer; Writing by Miranda Murray; editing by Matthias Williams)