Montreal | Reuters — Canadian plane maker Bombardier won a major U.S. case on Friday, which government officials said showed the importance of free trade at a time when talks to modernize the NAFTA pact are moving slowly. A U.S. tribunal unexpectedly dismissed a complaint by Boeing against alleged dumping by Bombardier in the case […] Read more
At NAFTA talks, Canada hails jet case as victory for free trade
Feds pledge funds for organic standards review
A review and update of Canada’s organic standards for compliance with international norms will get federal funding to make sure it’s complete by its 2020 deadline. Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay on Friday announced the government will foot the “necessary funds” to the Canadian General Standards Board (CGSB) to cover the cost of the 2020 Canadian […] Read more
U.S. anti-trade agenda could benefit Canadian ag
Winnipeg | CNS Canada — As U.S. President Donald Trump follows his “America first” policy and pulls out of trade deals, it could spell future opportunity for the Canadian agricultural industry, according to Dermot Hayes, a professor with the department of economics at Iowa State University. “In D.C. it’s chaotic. It’s the craziest situation I’ve […] Read more
NAFTA negotiations grind on
Montreal | Reuters — U.S. negotiators are holding firm in their demands for a wide-ranging overhaul of NAFTA, sources close to the talks said on Thursday, raising questions about whether any real movement is happening at the latest round of negotiations on the treaty. Officials from Canada, Mexico and the U.S. are in Montreal for […] Read more
Chicken, dairy farmers rip TPP concessions
Updated, Jan. 25, 2018 — Canada’s supply-managed producer groups warn that the new Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) trade deal stands to chip away unnecessarily at their markets. Chicken Farmers of Canada on Wednesday said the CPTPP deal, on which Canada pledged Tuesday it will sign in March, still includes concessions on market access […] Read more
Canada unveils ideas to save NAFTA
Montreal | Reuters — Canadian negotiators at the NAFTA talks on Wednesday unveiled ideas to address contentious U.S. demands for revamping the 1994 pact while Prime Minister Justin Trudeau urged top U.S. executives to back free trade. The sixth and penultimate round of negotiations to update the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) opened in […] Read more
Key round of NAFTA talks opens amid upbeat signs
Montreal | Reuters — Officials opened a key round of negotiations to modernize NAFTA on Tuesday amidst optimistic signs, as U.S. President Donald Trump said the talks were going “pretty well” and Canada’s chief negotiator said he had high hopes for progress. Trump’s remarks helped the Mexican peso stem its losses, a reflection of how […] Read more
Canada in on TPP pact, to be signed in March
Tokyo | Reuters — Eleven countries aiming to forge a Asia-Pacific trade pact after the U.S. pulled out of an earlier version will sign an agreement in Chile in March, Japan’s economy minister said on Tuesday. Trade officials had been meeting in Tokyo to resolve rifts including Canada’s insistence on protections for its cultural industries […] Read more
Trudeau to boost support for NAFTA in U.S. as talks intensify
Ottawa | Reuters –– Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will visit three major U.S. cities next month to bolster support for NAFTA as negotiators revising the trade pact tackle major differences, officials said on Friday. The timing of Trudeau’s Feb. 7-10 trip is significant, since it comes after a sixth and penultimate round of talks […] Read more
Montreal round of NAFTA talks extended to Jan. 29
Mexico City | Reuters — The upcoming round of talks in Montreal to update the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) will be extended by one day and will now conclude Jan. 29, Canadian and Mexican sources told Reuters on Thursday. Trade negotiators from the U.S., Canada and Mexico were originally scheduled to meet from […] Read more