Before the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement, a.k.a New NAFTA, CUSMA, or USMCA, comes up for review in July of 2026, Canada, Mexico, and the United States will all have gone through a federal election. Two of the three countries could have the same leader in place as today; however, that’s unlikely. It is also possible that… Read More
Category: Trade
For the exportable commodities such as canola, pork, beef, seafood, and wheat, trade is a fundamental staple of creating value for products being produced by Canadian agriculture. Canada is an export-reliant nation with vast agricultural production and production potential, but only forty million people in population. According to CAFTA, Canada is the fifth largest exporter… Read More
Exports from Canada face growing uncertainty as governments around the world look inward in an effort to gain votes. Whether it’s the collapse of the World Trade Organization’s dispute settlement process, individual countries introducing new technical trade barriers, or politicians deploying subsidies and tariffs in the name of more domestic jobs, the world is generally… Read More
Approval of a biotechnology reform bill in the European Parliament last month has been hailed as a major breakthrough toward allowing “new genomic techniques,” such as gene-editing, to be used in crop breeding in Europe. The bill still faces an uphill battle to become law across the European Union, but the vote was one example… Read More
Trade ministers from the World Trade Organization’s 164 member countries can agree on at least one basic thing about the WTO’s dispute settlement process: they’re still committed to fixing the broken system for resolving trade disputes. Beyond that, there were few signs of progress as trade representatives, including Canada’s Mary Ng and the United States’… Read More
By Tyler McCann, managing director of the Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute Many in Canadian agriculture and food are proud of the sector’s position as a major exporter. Many are also proud of Canada’s position as a sustainable food producer. But many are worried about the relationship between trade and sustainability. While the landscape is shifting,… Read More
USDA secretary Tom Vilsack gave an address at Commodity Classic on Friday, where he touched on several important issues for the United States’s ag sector; however, key details on some policies were not part of the speech. While many were disappointed that the final rules around the GREET model for ethanol’s qualification for Sustainable Aviation… Read More
Steve Verheul, now principal with GT Canada, served as Canada’s chief trade negotiator for several large trade deals, including what eventually became the United States-Canada-Mexico Agreement, or USMCA/CUSMA. This week, he joined Shaun Haney on RealAg Radio, recorded live at the Canadian Federation of Agriculture’s AGM in Ottawa. They spoke about: Multi-lateral vs bi-lateral trade… Read More
When it comes to Canadian agriculture, criticism towards federal policies and their broader implications is not uncommon. Farmers’ list of grievances reflect legitimate concerns over how this federal government’s bent will shape the sector’s future. However, it’s crucial to differentiate between warranted critique and misplaced outrage. A recent social media post from Agriculture Minister Lawrence… Read More
First announced as the host city in June 2023, the Indo-Pacific Agriculture and Agri-Food Office (IPAAO) in Manila was officially opened this week by Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Lawrence MacAulay. The Indo-Pacific region is a key one for Canadian farmers, producers, and the agri-food sector, with Canada’s agriculture and agri-food exports to the region totalling $22.8… Read More
Canada has what the world needs: abundant food and food ingredients. More importantly, Canada has what much of the world lacks — good arable land, clean water, and stability. Murad Al-Katib, president and CEO of AGT Food and Ingredients, based at Regina, is well versed in moving commodities and food products around the world. In… Read More
The Official Opposition says that the current Liberal government’s approach to the agriculture industry isn’t going to get us where we need to be on the international stage, and farmers are feeling the pinch. John Barlow, Alberta MP and ag critic with the Conservative Party of Canada, brought that message to attendees at the Northern… Read More
The Canadian cattle industry and the U.S. cattle industry are intertwined, perhaps unlike any other agriculture commodity in North America. Calves, cattle, and beef all move south — and north — depending on economics, demand, and the weather. For this reason, what happens in the U.S. beef market has a major impact on the Canadian market… Read More
The possibility that Canadian cattle and beef will face market discrimination if the U.S. government moves ahead with a new labeling rule is one of the main concerns representatives from the Canadian Cattle Association (CCA) are raising while meeting with American counterparts at the 2024 Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show in Orlando, Florida…. Read More
Negotiations on a trade deal between Canada and the UK have come to a halt with both sides unhappy about what the other is offering when it comes to market access for agricultural products. The British side has walked away from the table, citing a lack of progress in negotiations on a longer-term bilateral deal…. Read More