Arlington, Va. | Reuters — Lobbying efforts on the North American Free Trade Agreement faced a major test this week after the Trump administration ignored advice from U.S. business groups and pitched proposals to radically reshape NAFTA, leaving its future in doubt. The U.S. demands to force renegotiation of NAFTA every five years and reserve […] Read more
Tough U.S. NAFTA demands send ball back into lobbyists’ court
U.S. now seeking end to supply management in NAFTA talks
Arlington, Va. | Reuters — U.S. negotiators at talks to update the North American Free Trade Agreement want Canada to dismantle its system of protections for the dairy and poultry sectors — a move Ottawa will reject, a source briefed on the matter said on Monday. The proposal is the latest in a string of […] Read more
U.S. makes NAFTA dairy proposal, no market access request
Arlington, Va. | Reuters — U.S. negotiators at talks to renew the North American Free Trade Agreement on Friday formally asked Canada to address a bilateral dispute over dairy pricing, a request the Canadians are set to resist, sources familiar with the talks said. U.S. dairy producers are unhappy that Canadian farmers this year started […] Read more
U.S. takes tough lines as NAFTA negotiations begin
Washington | Reuters — The United States drew a hard line for renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement on Wednesday, demanding major concessions aimed at slashing U.S. trade deficits with Mexico and Canada and boosting U.S. content for autos. At the start of talks in Washington, U.S. President Donald Trump’s top trade adviser, Robert […] 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
Don’t worry about NAFTA talks, dairy farmers told
The free trade deal is being renegotiated but Ottawa is vowing to resist any move to undercut supply management
Reading Time: 2 minutes Don’t worry, we have your back. That was the message delivered behind closed doors to the nation’s dairy leaders at the recent annual general meeting of the Dairy Farmers of Canada. The AGM was held just as Washington was releasing its negotiating objectives on talks to revise the North American Free Trade Agreement, which will […] Read more
Ontario’s dairy group names new GM
Dairy Farmers of Ontario (DFO) has found its new general manager within the organization. Graham Lloyd, the organization’s general counsel, secretary to the board and director of communications, is the new general manager, replacing Peter Gould, the organization’s long-time manager. Gould, trained as an economist, has been with DFO since 1981 and has been the […] Read more
Alberta dairy producers concerned but calm over threats, says farm leader
Alberta Milk takes attacks from U.S. president seriously but its members aren’t panicking, says group’s chair
Reading Time: 2 minutes Alberta dairy producers take President Donald Trump’s threats against Canadian dairy seriously, but they aren’t in a panic, says the chair of Alberta Milk. “I think we need to take this threat seriously because what we’re seeing from the U.S. administration is an administration that is unpredictable,” said Tom Kootstra, who farms near Ponoka. The […] Read more
Trudeau defends dairy system against Trump protectionist charge
Ottawa | Reuters — Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Thursday brushed off an attack by U.S. President Donald Trump on Canada’s system of dairy protections, saying every nation defended its agricultural industries. Trudeau told Bloomberg Television that the U.S. in fact ran a dairy surplus with Canada. Trump took aim at Canada’s dairy industry […] Read more
Trump wins support for possible WTO action on Canada dairy
Reuters – Australia and New Zealand dairy industry leaders say they would support moves by the United States to draw the World Trade Organization into a trade dispute with Canada, after President Donald Trump said existing rules were unfair. On a visit to the U.S. cheese-making state of Wisconsin on April 18, Trump said he […] Read more
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