Canada’s heading into the NAFTA renegotiation next week, but a deal that hasn’t been discussed a lot lately is the Trans-Pacific Partnership — and why is that? The U.S. pulled out of TPP and left eleven remaining countries. Canada has participated in all of the meetings post-U.S. pulling out. The Canadian govenrment has provided a... Read More
Category: Canadian Agriculture Policy
It's been over 20 years since most of today's rules on government agriculture support aimed at reducing trade distorting programs were agreed to in the North American Free Trade Agreement and the World Trade Organization's Agreement on Agriculture. Over time, countries have adapted and found ways to circumvent limits and continue providing support to domestic... Read More
With the two week countdown on ahead of NAFTA negotiations, the Canadian government is bolstering its team in Washington and establishing a council to provide advice to Canadian negotiators. Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland announced Wednesday that she's sending Canada's chief negotiator in the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations to Washington as a deputy ambassador. Kirsten Hillman,... Read More
Farmers across Western Canada celebrated on Tuesday as it was the fifth anniversary of farmers gaining marketing freedom for wheat and barley, formerly known as 'board grains'. On August 1, 2012 farmers were given control of marketing their own farm production. Wheat and barley no longer had to be sold through the Canadian Wheat Board's... Read More
Canada's dairy processors and producers say the federal government has "failed to adequately support its dairy sector" after announcing plans for the allocation of cheese import licenses through the Canada-European Union trade deal (CETA). Canada agreed to tariff rate quotas for nearly 18 million kilograms of annual cheese imports in CETA under two categories: 16... Read More
The end of the Canadian Wheat Board as a single desk marketer of Canadian wheat and barley five years ago triggered a number of major changes in Canada's cereal crop industry. Most of the dust stirred up by dismantling the CWB has settled, but there's potential for more change. Recognizing gaps left by the end... Read More
Starting August 1, 2017, Japan has triggered a safeguard to increase the tariff on its frozen beef imports from countries that it does not have a free trade agreement with. Increasing the tariff on frozen beef imports from 38.5% to 50% will impact Canada and the United States and not Australia, Chile and Mexico who... Read More
Lower cattle prices due to big supplies, a Canadian dollar up over 80 cents U.S., and drought causing higher feed costs — Canadian cattle feeders are hunkering down as we turn the calendar into August. "If I'm a producer at the other end of the spectrum, as far as a cow-calf producer or grass operator,... Read More
I’m sure that with all the sabre rattling going on over NAFTA, our friends in the US understand why Canada and Mexico want to strengthen ties with each other, like we did earlier this month at a meeting in Calgary. There, Lawrence MacAulay, Canada’s Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, and José Calzada, Mexican Secretary of... Read More
Italy's move to unilaterally impose country of origin labeling (COOL) rules for all packages of pasta sold in the country came as a surprise last week, leaving the Canadian government and durum supply chain exploring options for how they can challenge the measure that threatens Canadian durum wheat exports. Rather than waiting for the European... Read More