The new North American trade agreement has forced Canadians to look honestly at our dairy industry
Nobody should be surprised – concessions on dairy access during the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) negotiations were foreseeable. Americans went from wanting to tweak the North American Free Trade Agreement last year to getting significant concessions from Canada in the USMCA, which replaces NAFTA. It’s a deal we needed, of course. But how will our…
The federal government has not explicitly stated that supply management is non-negotiable
By Steven Globerman and Gary Hufbauer The Fraser Institute As North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) talks continue, much remains undecided. The United States and Mexico have already reached an agreement in principle on a new free-trade arrangement. But in light of Trump’s complaints about Canadian dairy tariffs, the highest hurdle for Canada will be…
We need a smart, realistic strategy for negotiations, starting with giving up our dairy supply management system
The importance of the North American Free Trade Agreement to Canada’s economy is staggering. Each day, $2.4 billion worth of goods and services cross the Canada/U.S. border. Some 78 per cent of Canada’s merchandise exports are destined for NAFTA partners. Now, the 23-year-old agreement is under severe threat from a hyper-protectionist American president. Initially, NAFTA…
The opening of the dairy market was done systematically over eight years to allow time for farmers to transition
By Jon Berry, Alan Oxley and Dan LeRoy The Fraser Institute As trade tensions between Canada and the United States over North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) renegotiations continue, and U.S. President Donald Trump places Canada’s protection of various sectors of its agricultural industry front and centre, Canadian policy-makers would be well advised to learn lessons…
Supply management is protectionism by another name. And domestic protectionism shouldn’t be ignored as we seek freer trade
A significant amount of ink is being dedicated on both sides of the Canada-U.S. border to the trade conflict that President Donald Trump precipitated at the end of the G7 meetings in Charlevoix, Que. Trump wants a better trade footing for the United States, pointing out that tariffs of around 270 per cent are slapped…
Supply management 2.0 is finally here. To survive, farmers who see the writing on the wall will need to develop new skill sets
It was not the G7 most expected. Not even close. But should we be surprised? As U.S. President Donald Trump lashes out on Twitter against Canadian dairies, Canada is beginning to realize that there may be no North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) 2.0 after all. Washington is apparently aiming for two separate deals. But over…
A Supreme Court ruling that there’s no ‘constitutional guarantee of free trade’ will stifle both competition and lower prices for consumers
The Supreme Court of Canada has ruled that provinces have the right to erect interprovincial tariff barriers. That’s bad news for Canadian consumers and the health of the national economy. It is, however, a relief for provinces that for years have allowed fiscal priorities to supersede consumer choice and common economic sense. In 2012, Gerard…
The federal government should deregulate supply-managed commodities, and tariffs should be abolished on imports of dairy and poultry products
By Danny LeRoy and Jason Clemens The Fraser Institute Why are broad trade agreements that benefit almost all Canadians being jeopardized to protect a small subset of farmers, estimated at 13,500 across Canada? The United States has repeatedly indicated that a key tension in North American Free Trade (NAFTA) renegotiations is Canada’s protection of dairy,…
The new Trans-Pacific deal will boost agri-food industries. But it’s a nail in the coffin for Canada's protectionist supply-management sectors
Canada is making its trade intentions crystal clear and that's good news for most agri-food industries, although our supply-management sectors face big challenges. Even as the North American Free Trade Agreement talks continue, we've learned that the Trans-Pacific Partnership isn’t dead after all, although the trade deal among Pacific Rim countries has a new name:…
And if they are, Canadian consumers with have NAFTA 2.0 and Donald Trump to thank for the decrease in the price of dairy products
Canada's supply management system is a textbook case for food sovereignty. But the social contract the system represents may need to be redrafted as we head toward North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) renegotiations. Supply management is a social contract between farmers and consumers. Canada’s heavily-criticized quota regime for the dairy, egg and poultry industries was…
Nobody should be surprised – concessions on dairy access during the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) negotiations were foreseeable. Americans went from wanting to tweak the North American Free Trade Agreement last year to getting significant concessions from Canada in the USMCA, which replaces NAFTA. It’s a deal we needed, of course. But how will our…
