Montana-based cattle membership organization R-CALF has launched a multi-pronged attack to convince President Trump to reinstate mandatory country of origin labelling (MCOOL) in the upcoming renegotiation of NAFTA. On Agritalk on Thursday, R-CALF CEO Bill Bullard argued for MCOOL on the basis it supports President Trump’s “America first” policy, food safety, and America’s sovereignty, since the… Read more »
Category: Trade
Don’t mess with family — Perdue’s message to the rest of the Trump cabinet
Blood is thicker than water, and you should never mess with family. As I look back on the trilateral meeting between the agricultural leaders from Canada, the United States and Mexico, U.S. Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue has repeatedly emphasized the word ‘family’. With spouses included, this triple date included local Savannah, Georgia hospitality and even… Read more »
Trudeau is the best person to trade away supply management
Before we start let me make this point very clear: This editorial is not an argument for or against supply management. It’s a statement on Canada’s negotiating position heading into the upcoming NAFTA talks. In any trade you try to maximize the return on an asset. In sports, this could be other players, draft picks… Read more »
Beyond more acres — new Canola Council president Jim Everson discusses the future of canola
The new president of the Canola Council of Canada says his goal is to follow through on the council’s strategic plan, with priority shifting away from increasing acres to maximizing yields and value per acre for growers and the industry. Jim Everson’s first official day in the Canola Council’s office in Winnipeg was on May 23rd. As noted… Read more »
Ottawa formally launches consultations on NAFTA 2.0 negotiation
Have something to say about NAFTA? With President Trump notifying Congress and kicking off the 90-day countdown to when negotiations for updating the North American Free Trade Agreement could begin, the Canadian government has formally announced it is seeking the views of Canadians on the trade deal and what’s in it or not in it… Read more »
U.S. Ag Secretary Perdue meets with MacAulay in Toronto
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue is making his first international trip as secretary on Monday, meeting with Canada’s Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay and other Canadian government officials in Toronto.
How NAFTA becomes a bilateral deal in renegotiation
With the United States’ exit from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), the new administration says it’s focusing on bilateral agreements instead of multilateral deals in its attempted execution of an “America first” ideology on all things, including trade. Now that President Trump has formally notified Congress of his desire to renegotiate NAFTA, the countdown has started with… Read more »
Ontario farm leaders head south to keep U.S. ag trade flowing
Starting Wednesday, Ontario ag leaders are headed south of the border to try to mend some of the trade fences that embattled U.S. President Donald Trump has crashed through. Led by Ontario’s Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs minister Jeff Leal, the group – which includes representatives from the Ontario Federation of Agriculture, the… Read more »
Do No Harm: Ag groups remind governments of NAFTA benefits as 90-day countdown begins
As the Trump administration formally starts the process of re-opening the North American Free Trade Agreement, agriculture industry groups continue to remind the governments involved about the benefits of the existing deal. It’s a message that will be repeated often during the 90-day countdown to when renegotiations could begin, after U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer… Read more »
India takes “positive step” toward loosening looming restrictions on Canadian pulses
India’s government has taken a positive step toward resolving the uncertainty surrounding its rules for Canadian pulse crop shipments, according to Saskatchewan Pulse Growers and Pulse Canada. Technically, India has required fumigation of imports at port of origin since 2004. Canadian peas and lentils have traditionally been exempt, as India has repeatedly issued six-month waivers for crops coming… Read more »
U.S. beef gets access to China, plus the importance of CCA and NCBA co-operation: Kent Bacus
The United States announced this week that it had an agreement to increase beef exports to China. Lately much of the trade focus has been on holding on to existing markets but possible changes are afoot as President Donald Trump threatens to renegotiate NAFTA. The U.S./Canada beef industry relationship is more than one of just buying… Read more »
Ag ministers disagree on what to do with business risk management programs
Agriculture ministers from across Canada met in Ottawa this week, with the agenda focused on finalizing the agriculture policy framework to replace Growing Forward 2, which ends in March 2018. The ministers are aiming to sign off on a new federal-provincial-territorial agreement at their next meeting in St. John’s in July, but they have yet to agree… Read more »
Italy says it’s seeking EU approval for COOL on pasta
Italy’s government says it is moving ahead with a plan to implement mandatory country of origin labeling requirements on pasta, potentially impacting the competitiveness of Canadian durum wheat in one of its largest markets. The Italian government notified the European Commission about its intentions this week, according to the country’s agriculture minister, Maurizio Martina. (As of… Read more »
AgriTalk Free For All: Wheat trade harmonization, planting delays, labour shortages and dairy friction
On Friday, Shaun Haney was invited to be on the Free For All Panel on Agritalk, along with Chip Flory and Jim Wiesemeyer. Agritalk with Mike Adams has over 95 United States based radio affiliates and can be heard across North America on Rural Radio 147 (couple hours before RealAg Radio). The topics included US… Read more »
U.S. Senator aims at Canadian grading rules for American wheat
While much of the attention in the last few weeks on the Canada-U.S. trade file has been focused on well-publicized trade irritants like dairy and softwood lumber, a U.S. Senator has introduced a resolution asking President Trump to address how U.S. wheat is treated in Canada. The resolution brought forward by Montana Senator Jon Tester last… Read more »