The long, drawn out NAFTA negotiations really weighed heavily on the nerves of agricultural exporters. The fear of losing the U.S. market or the real threat of the border possibly becoming thicker was a huge stress for beef, pork, oilseed, and cereal producers.
The news, then, that there is a trilateral deal to be ratified by the three countries is music to the ears of the Canadian Agri-Food Trade Alliance and its members.
On RealAg Radio on Monday, Brain Innes, president of Canadian Agri-Food Trade Alliance (CAFTA), discussed how this deal — once ratified — will provide stability to Canada’s agri-food market.
Innes stated, “We do see that there will be some positive elements that will take away some barriers once we look at the details.”
Over the course of the negotiations, beef, pork, and grain producers were worried about the possibility that President Donald Trump would impose increased tariffs on those products to promote his “Buy American” campaign. The threat of auto tariffs created much of this concern and not direct comments made by the President.
During the interview Innes mentions not only reduced uncertainty, but also increased access to the U.S. market for Canadian sugar as being a win for agriculture.
CAFTA’s excitement is balanced off by the negative reaction to USMCA by the supply managed sector which includes dairy, eggs, and poultry.
Below, Innes and Shaun Haney discuss CAFTA’s early reaction to the deal. Did CAFTA members get everything they wanted? Which CAFTA members are the real winners? How do we make sure that more export ready businesses are able to access any free trade deal? Listen for those answers:
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | RSS | All Podcasts
