North America

Canada and the United States have signed about 180 investment agreements.

They are both party to the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) with Mexico. Sixty-seven disputes were launched under NAFTA.

NAFTA was recently renegotiated and replaced by the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) that was signed in November 2018 and is yet to enter in force. The investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) mechanism between the US and Canada, and between Mexico and Canada has been removed – even though it is included in the Trans-Pacific Partnership, to which both Mexico and Canada belong. Only limited claims are allowed between the US and Mexico, after exhaustion of local remedies. But the ISDS mechanism has been maintained between the two countries for claims pertaining to Mexico’s oil and gas sector.

The US is also party to the Dominican Republic–Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA), with six Central American states. US investors have initiated all 11 known CAFTA disputes.

Canada has an investment treaty with China and is party to the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) with the European Union. CETA includes a revised ISDS mechanism, the investment court system, which has been critiqued for not addressing the core of the problem behind the mechanism.

US investors have extensively used the ISDS mechanism. They have initiated around 180 disputes, over 17% of all known cases, making the US the most frequent home state of investors. The US has never lost an ISDS case.

Canadian investors have initiated about 50 disputes and Canada has been the fourth most frequent target among ‘developed’ states (9th globally), with 29 cases.

Photo: Public Citizen

(April 2020)

Zone Bourse | 3-Jan-2024
Le procureur de l’Équateur a déclaré que le pays avait gagné un arbitrage international et qu’il ne serait pas tenu de payer 198 millions de dollars à la société d’ingénierie Worley International Services dans le cadre de contrats relatifs à des projets pétroliers.
CIAR Global | 28-Dec-2023
La Secretaría de Economía mexicana ha informado de que, de mutuo acuerdo con Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ) y CDP Groupe Infrastructures Inc., han decidido suspender temporalmente el procedimiento de arbitraje iniciado por ambas firmas ante el Centro Internacional de Arreglo de Diferencias relativas a Inversiones (CIADI), y registrado por su Secretaría el 15 de diciembre de 2023.
Business World | 22-Dec-2023
Le gouvernement a stoppé une demande d’arbitrage international contre le pays déposée sur des questions d’énergies renouvelables par les fonds d’investissement canadiens Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec et CDP Groupe Infrastructures Inc.
Junior Mining Network | 21-Dec-2023
The tribuna has extended the period to draw up and sign the award for a further 60 days. Accordingly, the Tribunal must issue the award on or before March 12, 2024.
Reuters | 21-Dec-2023
Canadian pension fund Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec and the Mexican economy ministry have temporarily suspended an international arbitration procedure to try to reach an agreement.
La Jornada | 21-Dec-2023
Por mutuo acuerdo, el gobierno mexicano y los fondos Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec y CDP Groupe Infrastructures Inc. decidieron suspender temporalmente un procedimiento arbitral, iniciado por ambas firmas en materia energética.
Andina | 21-Dec-2023
El Estado peruano obtuvo otro triunfo en el Centro Internacional de Arreglo de Diferencias relativas a Inversiones, en el caso Maple Gas, donde Worth Capital Holdings abandonó el reclamo de 136.3 millones de dólares.
CIAR Global | 20-Dec-2023
Fondo inversor canadiense presenta un arbitraje de inversiones contra México relacionado con explotaciones energéticas.
CIAR Global | 19-Dec-2023
Almaden y Almadex, dos mineras canadienses, han solicitado consultas con México, previas al arbitraje internacional, en el marco del Acuerdo de Asociación Transpacífico.
IRIS | 18-Dec-2023
En février 2023, l’entreprise responsable du défunt projet d’exportation de gaz naturel liquéfié à Saguenay a déposé une poursuite en arbitrage international contre le Canada afin de réclamer des dommages et intérêts de 20 milliards de dollars.