Ottawa | Reuters — Unhappy Canadian dairy farmers parked dozens of tractors in central Ottawa and walked their cows down the main street opposite Parliament on Tuesday to protest trade talks they said could cripple them. Canada is one of 12 Pacific Rim countries trying to nail down a trade deal in Atlanta this week. […] Read more
Farmers, upset over TPP talks, take cows to Parliament
Dairy farmers worry Trans-Pacific trade deal could hurt
Ottawa | Reuters — Canada’s powerful dairy industry on Friday expressed concern it could suffer if talks to create a Pacific trade treaty open up heavily protected Canadian markets to more foreign competition. Some of the 12 nations taking part in negotiations on a Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) want Canada to start dismantling a system known […] Read more
Canada must be part of TPP, will defend farmers: Harper
Ottawa | Reuters — Canada must join a proposed Pacific trade pact but will strive to protect farmers, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said Thursday, referring to foreign pressure to scrap tariffs that protect the dairy industry. Some of the 12 nations taking part in talks on a Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) want Canada to start dismantling […] Read more
Canada says will defend dairy protection at TPP talks
Ottawa | Reuters — Canada will continue to defend its system of tariffs and quotas that protect dairy farmers, a senior official said on Monday, in comments that could worry nations negotiating a Pacific trade treaty. Canada is under pressure at talks to create a Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) because concessions sought by the other 11 […] Read more
Election timing puts Tories in bind on Pacific trade talks
Ottawa | Reuters –– Canada is facing a tough squeeze at talks on a major Pacific trade treaty because the concessions other nations want it to make could cause serious problems for the governing Conservatives in this October’s general election. Canada, one of 12 nations aiming to create the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), is under pressure […] Read more
Raitt won’t tell railways where to ship grain for now
Ottawa | Reuters — The Canadian government will not, for now, start telling railways where to ship farmers’ grain but it will decide within days whether to extend its requirements on how much grain they must haul, Transport Minister Lisa Raitt said Wednesday. In an interview in her parliamentary office, Raitt said farmers and shippers […] Read more
EU, Canada dismiss German minister’s threat to block trade pact
Ottawa | Reuters — The European Union and Canada on Friday dismissed threats by a top German politician to block a free trade deal the two sides wrapped up in August after five years of often difficult negotiations. The deal could increase bilateral trade by a fifth to 26 billion euros (US$34 billion) and is […] Read more
Deal or no deal? EU-Canada FTA seen faltering at final hurdle
Brussels/Ottawa | Reuters — Canada and the European Union are struggling to finalize a multibillion-dollar trade pact six months after political leaders said it was sealed, an embarrassment for Brussels as it seeks a far bigger deal with the U.S. Over a celebratory lunch last October, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and European Commission President […] Read more
Canada, S. Korea reported close on free trade deal
Ottawa | Reuters — Canada and South Korea are very close to signing a long-delayed free trade deal after years of talks, sources familiar with the negotiations said Thursday. “It’s imminent,” said one business source, who asked for anonymity because a formal announcement had not been made yet. “They are really, really close,” said another […] Read more
Dairy farmers angry as Canada, EU near trade pact
Canada’s Prime Minister Stephen Harper will fly to Brussels Thursday in a bid to seal a free trade treaty with the European Union, his office said on Wednesday, signaling an end to negotiations that have dragged on much longer than planned. Canada initially said a deal would be struck by December 2011. It then pushed […] Read more
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