London | Reuters — Britain could join a formal trade alliance with the United States, Canada and Mexico if the European Union refuses to clinch a post-Brexit trade deal, the Daily Telegraph newspaper reported on Tuesday. The newspaper said British ministers were looking at joining the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) as part of […] Read more
Britain reported looking to NAFTA if Brexit deal fails
If NAFTA ain’t broke, don’t fix it, pork sector says
CNS Canada — As talks begin toward reworking the North American Free Trade Agreement, John Ross of the Canadian Pork Council repeats what many in the pork and beef industries in Canada and the U.S. have been saying all along: First, do no harm. “The worst thing that could happen to us was if we […] Read more
Prairie grain growers have a big stake in NAFTA talks
Trade deal has produced great benefits and can be made even better
Reading Time: 3 minutes The North American Free Trade Agreement has been a boon for Canadian agricultural producers, facilitating cross-border trade and commerce, and fuelling the economic performance and growth of this highly export-driven sector. It has achieved this mainly through the continued reduction of tariffs on agricultural goods, but also through measures addressing non-tariff trade barriers, sanitary and […] Read more
Canada suggests it could quit NAFTA talks over dispute mechanism
Ottawa | Reuters –– Canada laid down a tough line ahead of talks on modernizing NAFTA on Monday, suggesting it could walk away if the U.S. pushed to remove a key dispute-settlement mechanism in the trade deal. Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland, giving the most substantive outline yet of Canada’s goals, said she was “very optimistic” […] Read more
Ahead of NAFTA talks, Canada says dispute mechanism essential
Ottawa | Reuters — An effective dispute settlement mechanism is essential in any trade agreement, Canada’s foreign affairs minister said on Friday, less than a week before the first round of negotiations on the North American trade pact. Canada’s desire to include a dispute settlement mechanism in a renegotiated North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) […] Read more
Ag ministers on NAFTA: ‘If it ain’t broke…’
Donald Trump may not like NAFTA, but his new agriculture secretary doesn’t seem too fussed about it
Reading Time: 3 minutes When Canadian, American and Mexican agriculture ministers got together last month in Savannah, Georgia, they weren’t there to discuss what U.S. President Donald Trump has described as “worst trade deal in the history of the world.” On the contrary, they talked about the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) as though it was about the […] Read more
Canada taps veteran negotiator to drive talks on NAFTA
Ottawa | Reuters –– Canada’s senior negotiator at talks to renew NAFTA will be the official who worked for years to push through a major free trade deal with Europe, two sources familiar with the matter said on Thursday. Steve Verheul faces another challenge as he deals with the U.S., which is threatening to walk […] Read more
White House readies order to quit NAFTA
Washington | Reuters — The White House is considering a draft executive order to withdraw the U.S. from the North American Free Trade Agreement, a senior Trump administration official said on Wednesday. It was unclear whether the order would be enacted by President Donald Trump, who has vowed to pull out from the U.S./Mexico/Canada trade […] Read more
Judge free trade by what we have lost
Farmers’ share of food profits has declined as has rural Canada’s economy, while farm debt and food imports have gone up
Reading Time: 3 minutes Over the decades since the Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and later, NAFTA, was signed, Canadian agriculture has undergone a significant shift. There was once a multitude of diverse local and regional economic drivers, but now we have a “one-size-fits-all” export-driven, low-priced commodity production model. Farm capital needs have skyrocketed as illustrated by the massive […] Read more
Give Trump a chance and ‘play this wisely,’ says Brian Mulroney
Make the case that trade helps both countries, go slow on environmental taxes, and make friends in Asia, says the former PM
Reading Time: 3 minutes Be patient. And don’t worry too much just yet. That’s the advice of former prime minister Brian Mulroney for those wondering what Donald Trump’s presidency will mean for this country. “I know you’re wondering how Canada will fare under the Trump administration,” Mulroney said at FarmTech. “I’ve had the privilege of knowing both Hillary (Clinton) […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
