Reading Time: < 1 minute The Canadian Cattlemen’s Association says it backs Ottawa’s stance in standing up to “illegal U.S. tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum.” But the farm group says it continues to remind federal officials “that the Canadian beef sector is highly dependent on trade with the U.S.” The retaliatory Canadian tariffs include items such as beef jerky […] Read more
Tread lightly with tariffs, says CCA
World’s ‘affection’ for Canada will help in trade diversification: Carr
Ottawa | Reuters — There is “an awful lot of affection for Canada” around the world that will help the government’s push to diversify exports away from the United States, the country’s new trade minister said on Thursday, as ties with Washington become more strained. Winnipeg MP Jim Carr, previously the minister for natural resources, […] Read more
Farmers wonder what’s next from mercurial president
The threat of a trade war has been pushed off the front pages, but continues to roil the farm sector
Reading Time: < 1 minute The phrase ‘that’s so last week’ is supposed to be ironic, but it’s an apt description for the ongoing whirlwind of trade measures coming out of the Oval Office. Since ordering tariffs of 25 per cent on US$50 billion worth of Chinese goods in early April, U.S. President Donald Trump has ordered more tariffs on […] Read more
VIEW FROM THE NORTH: Small pond, big ripples
There could be some benefits in some areas, but the downsides are many and could seriously disrupt markets
Reading Time: 3 minutes China’s tariffs on American pork and soybeans will have impacts here, although how exactly is an open question. “It affects our producers because our hog prices are set off of the U.S. market,” said provincial pork specialist Ron Gietz after their imposition earlier this month. The tariffs sent American prices plunging, with Canadian prices following […] Read more
VIEW FROM THE SOUTH: Bet on China goes bad
Chinese buying prompted U.S. hog and soybean farmers to ramp up production that’s now looking for a home
Reading Time: 3 minutes Representatives from the largest pork-exporting states in the U.S. happened to find themselves at a Manitoba pork meeting days after China announced it was slapping tariffs on U.S. pork. They were as confused, and worried, as everyone else about what was coming next. “The marketplace is obviously reacting, but it’s important for us to take […] Read more
Steel tariffs could rebound on farmers here
It’s not clear what impact tariffs will have on farm equipment but any increase will likely be passed on
Reading Time: 4 minutes It’s unclear if the new steel tariff proposed by U.S. President Donald Trump could be bad news for Canadian producers when it comes time to buy new farm equipment. If the tariffs are imposed, U.S. manufacturing companies would pay 25 per cent more for imported steel and 10 per cent more for imported aluminum, unless […] Read more
Adapt to the new world order, says Stephen Harper
Globalization foes are just getting started, but free traders can thrive if they adapt
Reading Time: 4 minutes He was enthusiastically welcomed as the prime minister who scrapped the wheat board, earning a standing ovation before the first word of his keynote address. But Stephen Harper had his eyes on an even bigger farm issue when he spoke to an enthusiastic crowd of nearly all of FarmTech’s 2,000 attendees. In a sweeping political […] Read more
Trans-Pacific agreement draws praise from ag groups
Farm and agri-food groups say deal will open new markets but CFA issues warning on supply management
Reading Time: 2 minutes Here’s what farm and agri-food groups were saying after an agreement was struck on a new Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal (also called TPP-11 or CPTPP): Cereals Canada The TPP-11 agreement raises the bar with respect to modern and progressive trading rules in Asia-Pacific and beyond. Canada’s participation demonstrates much needed […] Read more
Big stakes and big risks in Trans-Pacific trade talks
Canola and beef sectors say there’s no middle ground — reaching a deal will be a huge win and failure will be ‘a really bad scenario’
Reading Time: 4 minutes Without a new Trans-Pacific Partnership deal, two ag sectors won’t just miss out on multimillion-dollar opportunities — they’ll take a major hit in key Asian markets, say canola and beef officials. “There are some really clear benefits for Canada here in terms of growth potential, but also some very serious consequences if we don’t move […] Read more
Three other takes on the Trans-Pacific trade talks
Pork, dairy, and grain producer groups also have strong views on what needs to happen in negotiations
Reading Time: < 1 minute Here’s what other Canadian commodity groups are saying about the Trans-Pacific Partnership talks. “Last year, 1.1 million tonnes of pork and pork products, valued at over $3.7 billion, were exported to 92 different countries. Of this, approximately 80 per cent was sold to current TPP partners while another 15 per cent goes to countries we […] Read more
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