Canadian wheat and barley exports have been caught in the escalating diplomatic dispute between Canada and Saudi Arabia. The Saudi government issued a notice on Tuesday to stop all purchases of wheat and barley from Canada. While the Saudi market isn’t a major export destination, the impact will likely be felt in the barley market… Read more »
Category: Trade
With Trump making overtures to the EU, is Canada being left behind?
Although the European Union is currently experiencing significant political shifts within its body of countries, it is still one of the world’s leading economic blocks and is very attractive to exporters from around the world. Its history of protectionism, with tariffs and import quotas on agricultural products, is well documented. This makes trade with the… Read more »
5 scenarios for Canadian dairy in NAFTA 2.0 talks
The three NAFTA partners are reportedly making progress on a deal around auto-content rules, meaning we could see a change in focus to the remaining issues, which includes Canadian market access for U.S. dairy products. There’s plenty of speculation about what the ultimate compromise required to get a deal done will be, but we can… Read more »
“It’s astronomically impossible to expect zero ag subsidies in the EU”
The European Union looking to mend fences with the Trump administration could have a major impact on agriculture, as the U.S. looks for a win with one of its trading partners. The EU/U.S. trade front is one that Canadians should pay particularly close attention to as we already have preferential market access over the U.S…. Read more »
India’s market disruption and the impact on harvest pulse prices
When it comes to making heads or tails on tariff trouble in India, Chuck Penner, with Leftfield Commodities, says that while the news isn’t good, it’s not all bleak. The tariffs and restrictions are set to continue long into harvest, Penner explains, as he breaks down each class and tariff level by crop type (and… Read more »
Trump to issue US$12 billion in compensation to farmers for trade war impacts
Tuesday morning began with United States President Donald Trump tweeting about trade and his desire to punish unfair trade partners with tariffs. The U.S. strategy on trade has been to use a big stick with Canada, Mexico, the EU and China. Tariffs are the greatest! Either a country which has treated the United States unfairly… Read more »
Ag ministers talk trade, business risk management, & whether marijuana qualifies for ag programs
Agriculture ministers from across the country were hosted by B.C. Agriculture Minister Lana Popham in Vancouver on Thursday and Friday. The topics discussed at the annual ministerial get-together included trade, business risk management, labour, and the legalization of cannabis. Here’s a summary of what was discussed at the meeting: Trade The ministers received an update… Read more »
Tariff battle looking like a turning point in world soybean trade
Despite what Chinese government officials say, most market analysts and traders believe China will need to buy soybeans from the U.S. this year, even if it means paying a 25 per cent tariff. “The question is not whether China is eventually going to have to buy U.S. soybeans. I think we all agree they have… Read more »
Mexico has a new president, but will it bring a new NAFTA?
July 1, 2018 has been referred to as a pivotal day in the NAFTA 2.0 drama for months, and the implementation of the $16.6 billion retaliatory tariffs were not the biggest story. Instead, the date marks the Mexican election where favourite Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO) was victorious as the next president of Mexico. How… Read more »
Trade strategy requires patience, but can we afford it?
Canada’s retaliatory tariffs against the United States — worth $16.6 billion — will clearly come at a cost, not only to the American economy, but also the Canadian economy. Despite the likely economic fallout from this trade spat, both sides in this dispute are talking about being disciplined and patient and trying to take a… Read more »
U.S. lifts requirements on Manitoba cattle after 20+ years of bovine TB testing
Ranchers around Riding Mountain National Park in Manitoba reached a long-awaited milestone on Sunday, more than 20 years after the U.S. implemented bovine tuberculosis (TB) testing requirements and restrictions on cattle headed south. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has lifted the pre-export testing requirement for breeding cattle and bison coming from Manitoba, as of July… Read more »
Quebec Premier says Canada should consider appeasing the U.S. on class 7 pricing system
In a statement that some people will consider a surprise, Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard mentioned to Bloomberg that Canada may want to consider appeasing the U.S. by changing its class 7 pricing system. According to a story in the Financial Post the Premier said, “If that’s the main issue, let us see how we can… Read more »
Canadian wheat grading criticized by Trump, but can be easily resolved
Nobody can light a fire under an issue like President Donald Trump, even if he openly admits he doesn’t understand it. Speaking in Fargo, North Dakota, on Wednesday night, the president was given some speaking points on the issue of how U.S. wheat is graded in Canada — one of the few agriculture trade irritants… Read more »
Kentucky looks longingly across the fence at Ontario
Even though Kentucky’s first-ever agricultural trade mission was eight months in the making, no one would have blamed the state’s trade commission for delaying last week’s five-day trek to Ontario until the air cleared of anti-Canadian rhetoric from U.S. President Donald Trump. After all, not only are trade tensions high, but Kentucky is as pro-Trump… Read more »
China not interested in Canada’s ‘progressive agenda’ in trade talks
The Canadian government is trying to walk a fine line when it comes to its relationship with China, especially in the volatile context of the current U.S.-China trade battle. Whether that line even exists is a real question, as Canada has to balance its relationship with its closest ally (the U.S.) and concerns about Chinese… Read more »