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

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

A dispute panel convened to settle U.S. concerns over how Canada handled its dairy tariff rate quotas (TRQs) under the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA/USMCA) has ruled that Canada is not obligated to make further changes, following an earlier ruling in December 2021 that Canada’s handling of TRQs was “inconsistent” with the trade deal. The ruling, made… Read More

National cattle and meat industry organizations find themselves in a strange predicament, calling on the Canadian government to delay its approval for a trade deal. The Canadian Cattle Association, Canadian Meat Council, and National Cattle Feeders’ Association — normally in favour of new trade agreements — launched a campaign called “Say No to A Bad… Read More

The national coalition of export-focused agriculture commodity organizations is welcoming the Canadian government’s position on Mexico banning the use of biotech corn in tortillas or dough. Trade Minister Mary Ng and Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay have announced Canada will participate as a third party in the dispute settlement proceedings initiated by the U.S. against Mexico…. Read More

The Canadian government has decided to sign on as a third party in the United States’ request for dispute settlement consultations regarding Mexico’s restrictions on biotechnology in agriculture. Canada’s trade and agriculture ministers, Mary Ng and Marie-Claude Bibeau, announced the decision on Friday, which was the deadline for joining the U.S. challenge under the rules… Read More

The Government of Canada has announced the home of its new Indo-Pacific Agriculture and Agri-Food Office — Manila, Philippines. Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, made the announcement while meeting with the Canadian Agri-Food Trade Alliance (CAFTA) on Wednesday. The Office is a joint venture between Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and the Canadian Food… Read More

The Canadian government has not yet decided whether it will join the U.S. in its trade dispute over Mexico’s restrictions on agricultural biotechnology. U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai formally requested dispute settlement consultations with Mexico under the Canada-U.S.-Mexico (CUSMA or USMCA) trade agreement on Friday. The dispute revolves around Mexican president Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s… Read More