An independent Alberta would automatically keep tariff-free trade with the rest of Canada.
Claimed by: Commonly stated by Alberta independence advocates
False: False as written according to the settled evidence. How we rate.
Summary
Free movement of goods within Canada exists because Alberta is part of Canada. Once independent, Alberta would be a separate country, and continued tariff-free access would depend on negotiating a trade agreement, not on an automatic right. Analysts note a new, smaller state would have limited leverage in such talks, and an international border would bring customs and regulatory friction that does not exist today. Presenting continued open trade as guaranteed overstates the certainty.
Evidence
Trade arrangements apply between sovereign states, so an independent Alberta would have to negotiate access rather than inherit Canada's internal market automatically.
Analysts describe an independent Alberta negotiating trade, currency, and border arrangements from a relatively weak position as a small new state.