A move by the United States Senate to strengthen rules concerning credit card fees isn't likely to change things in Canada, where consumers are already protected, says the Canadian Bankers Association.

On Tuesday, the Senate voted overwhelmingly to rein in credit card rate increases and excessive fees, hoping to give cardholders some breathing room amid a recession that has left hundreds of thousands of Americans jobless or facing foreclosure.

The bill would require U.S. banks and credit card companies to give customers at least 45 days notice before raising interest rates.

The House of Representatives was on track to pass the measure as early as Wednesday, paving the way for President Barack Obama to see the bill on his desk by week's end.

Maura Drew-Lytle, a spokeswoman with the Canadian Bankers Association, said that in this country there are already strong consumer protection laws in place surrounding disclosure and credit cards.

"There has to be full disclosure when you apply for a credit card and on your monthly statement. And certainly if anything is going to change around your account agreement then the bank has to give you 30 days written notice before that happens," she told CBC News.

"It's a very, very different market there than what we see in Canada."

Meanwhile, Finance Minister Jim Flaherty said last week that regulations for the credit card industry will probably be tabled by the end of this month.

While he won't say what changes he has in mind, Flaherty has complained credit card rates remain high even though the Bank of Canada slashed its trend-setting overnight rate to only one-quarter of one per cent more than three weeks ago.

In the January budget, the federal government said it would move to limit "business practices that are not beneficial to consumers," adding that one measure would be to require an interest-free period on new purchases.

The Canadian Bankers Association said credit card rates are high partly because the recession has led to a jump in delinquency rates.

With files from The Associated Press