The Canadian government has offered to allow more dairy imports under its supply management system as part of NAFTA negotiations, but the U.S. administration felt the concessions that were offered weren't enough, according to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue. "They made an offer most recently that they felt like was a very fair offer. I... Read More
Category: Ag Policy
Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) has announced a major investment in new hopper cars following the federal government's passage of Bill C-49. Just weeks after Canadian National Railway (CN) announced an order for 1,000 new hopper cars, CP unveiled plans on Thursday to spend more than $500 million on around 5,900 high-capacity grain cars over the... Read More
The Canadian government intends to table legislation to ratify the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) before the House of Commons rises for summer. International Trade Minister François-Philippe Champagne appeared before the House trade committee on Tuesday morning, where he confirmed the government's plan to bring forward the bill to implement the Pacific... Read More
The Canadian government was on the media offensive this past weekend, after the U.S. administration applied steel and aluminum tariffs to imports from Canada while justifying the move as a national security issue. "What you are saying to us and all of your NATO allies is that we somehow represent a national security threat to... Read More
In a surprising twist to this already tumultuous provincial election, Premier Kathleen Wynne held a press conference over the weekend to concede defeat, days before the election is to be held. Wynne, emotional in her speech, admitted she has no chance of being re-elected premier, and instead urged voters to still vote Liberal to ensure... Read More
Steel prices in North America are on the rise and the impacts are just beginning to be felt in farm country. In the U.S., steel prices were already up 37% year to date and expected to go higher with the imposition of 25% import tariffs on steel from Canada and Mexico. According to the Financial…Read More
In a somewhat confusing twist in the on-going neonicotinoid saga, Health Canada announced yesterday the findings of its pollinator health risk assessment for imidacloprid, one of three neonicotinoid insecticides currently under re-evaluation in Canada. It's confusing because the findings and subsequent recommendations of the Pest Management Regulatory's risk assessment are essentially a moot point: an... Read More
The Canadian government was quick to announce $16.6 billion in retaliatory tariffs after U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross confirmed that Canada, Mexico, and the EU will lose their exemptions to 25 percent and 10 percent tariffs on steel and aluminum, as of June 1. The escalation comes as NAFTA negotiations appear to have stalled. Prime... Read More
Canada is 9.985 million km² producing a wealth of farm commodities and natural resources. This has been a week dominated by the discussion on the movement of oil, but what about other commodities that cannot flow through a pipe? Wheat, canola, pulses, and soybeans require rail to get from the Prairies to port to be... Read More
Whether he meant to say it or not, the federal agriculture minister is drawing criticism for a comment he made to the Senate on Tuesday regarding how farmers view the federal carbon tax. Responding to a question from Senator Carolyn Stewart Olsen about the impact of the carbon tax on farmers in New Brunswick, Lawrence... Read More