Joint Canada-U.S. Task Force on Deceptive Marketing Practices Established

OTTAWA, September 10, 1996 — Francine Matte, Q.C., Acting Director of Investigation and Research under the Competition Act, announced today that the Competition Bureau and the United States Federal Trade Commission signed an agreement establishing a Canadian-U.S. Task Force on Cross-Border Deceptive Marketing Practices.

The primary purpose of the Task Force is to provide a framework to promote cooperation between law enforcement agencies in Canada and in the U.S. with respect to deceptive marketing practices with a transborder component. The Task Force will operate within the confines of the laws, policies and practices of each country.

“The agreement will allow law enforcement agencies from both countries to combat more effectively the growing trend towards cross-border deceptive marketing practices directed at consumers and businesses,” said Ms. Matte. “Amongst other things, the Task Force will focus on operations based in either country which target the residents of the other country.”

The agreement follows on the signing on August 3, 1995 of the Canada-U.S. Competition Policy Agreement by the Government of Canada and the Government of the United States of America. That agreement established a framework for closer relations between Canada and the U.S. regarding the enforcement of their competition and deceptive marketing practices laws.

The agreement was signed and the announcement was made in Burlington, Vermont at an important meeting of Canadian and U.S. federal, provincial and state law enforcers of cross-border deceptive and fraudulent telemarketing.

Signing on behalf of the Competition Bureau was Rachel Larabie-LeSieur, Deputy Director of Investigation and Research (Marketing Practices), and on behalf of the FTC was Jodie Bernstein, Director, Bureau of Consumer Protection.

Informations :
Cécile Suchal
819-953-5303