Canada's minister of international trade marked an important step forward in Canada's trading relationship with one bloc of countries today, while looking to start a new deal with another.

François-Philippe Champagne signed the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership, the reborn Trans Pacific-Partnership, while in Chile on Thursday.

On Friday, Champagne's team will pivot to the next free trade opportunity: the Mercosur bloc of nations.

"We're proud ... to show the world that progressive trade is the way forward, that fair, balanced, and principled trade is the way forward, and that putting citizens first is the way forward for the world when it comes to trade," said Champagne from Santiago.

This was excerpted from the 8 March 2018 edition of CBC News.