The Canadian government has taken a step toward ratifying the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). International Trade Minister François-Philippe Champagne tabled the text of the 11-country trade deal in the House of Commons on Tuesday. However, the government must still introduce and pass a bill to implement the agreement before Canada can... Read More
Category: Canadian Agriculture Policy
Farm and grain industry groups are giving a big thumbs-up to the federal government for finally passing Bill C-49. The Transportation Modernization Act received royal assent on Wednesday, after gaining final approval from the Senate late Tuesday. Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay will be joined by grain industry stakeholders at a Richardson elevator just north of... Read More
The federal government's transportation bill, which includes changes to railway legislation welcomed by farm and grain industry stakeholders, gained final approval from the Senate late Tuesday, after bouncing back and forth several times between the House of Commons and the Senate. Among other measures, the bill gives shippers the right to charge railways with penalties... Read More
Last week we heard House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) lay down a Congressional schedule deadline for a NAFTA 2.0 deal of May 17th. The negotiators did not meet the deadline and in fact, it was ignored like it never existed. Each country is spinning their version of what is left to do to complete this... Read More
Nearly all of Canada's international trade negotiations, at some point, involve discussions about the future of supply management for our dairy and poultry sectors. We've heard the U.S. dairy industry push hard against the supply management system for dairy in NAFTA 2.0 talks, especially Canada's new class 7 pricing. Some Canadians cheer this U.S. rhetoric... Read More
Grain Farmers of Ontario wants to see a targeted growth strategy, a focus on business risk management programs, funding for an educational farm demo site, and signed trade agreements out of the next Ontario government. GFO also says it would like to see an exemption on farm fuel costs associated with Climate Change regulations of... Read More
Round eight of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) talks has been a month-long process of trying to reach common ground in Washington, with the majority of the chapters yet to be closed. This week, U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan informed the trade negotiators that in order for Congress to have a chance to... Read More
Federal Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay is headed to China for a week-long trade mission. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada says MacAulay will be meeting with representatives from several Chinese companies, including e-commerce giant Alibaba, HeMa, and GFresh, to discuss opportunities for Canadian food products in meetings taking place May 14 to 18. He will also attend... Read More
Perhaps you saw it differently if you took in the televised Ontario leaders' debate earlier this week, but from what I saw, Kathleen Wynne is done, Doug Ford did not impress, and — and I can't believe I'm saying this — the NDP's Andrea Horwath knocked it out of the park. It's most certainly Doug... Read More
Updated, May 11: The Liberals in the House of Commons have indicated they will reject the Senate's two latest amendments, sending the bill back to the Senate, however a vote won't be held before May 22nd. The back-and-forth between the House of Commons and the Senate over Bill C-49 continues, as the Senate on Wednesday... Read More