A town square in Aguas Calientes, near Machu Picchu in southern Peru. (CIA.gov)

Peru lifts trade barriers to U.S. beef

Washington, D.C. | Reuters — Peru has agreed to lift its remaining safety barriers to U.S. beef exports, further opening one of the fastest-growing markets in Latin America to U.S. ranchers, Obama administration officials said Monday. U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said the agreement with Lima will remove certification requirements […] Read more

Most American producers are glad that Canadian cattle are no longer subject to a labelling law.

U.S. producers glad that COOL is gone

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association is also strongly behind the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal

Reading Time: < 1 minute American cattle producers are just as happy about the demise of the country-of-origin labelling law and the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal as their Canadian counterparts. That’s the take of Alberta Beef Producers (ABP) after its executive and executive director attended the annual convention of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association in California last month. “We were […] Read more


(Dave Bedard photo)

Agropur eyes further U.S. acquisitions

Reuters — Canada’s second-biggest dairy, Agropur Co-operative, said it is looking to grow in the U.S., possibly through acquisitions, in the face of an expected erosion of its market share at home due to recent international trade deals. Agropur, whose brands include Iogo yogurt and Oka cheese, and larger rival Saputo have already built U.S. […] Read more

Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland, at the news conference for the TPP’s signing in Auckland, explains Canada’s plans for public consultations and parliamentary hearings on the deal. (New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade via YouTube)

Canada signs Trans-Pacific Partnership

Trade ministers from the 12 countries in the Trans-Pacific Partnership have signed their trade agreement, committing them to take the deal to their home governments for review and/or approval. The deal, which Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland signed on Canada’s behalf on Thursday in Auckland, New Zealand, is expected to see tariffs on Canadian products in […] Read more


The Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal will have big and immediate benefits 
for the Canadian beef industry, says Alberta Beef Producers.

Ratify Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal asap, says beef group

Levelling the playing field in Japan is the top priority, says Alberta Beef Producers

Reading Time: 2 minutes Alberta Beef Producers is urging the new federal Liberal government to ratify the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal “as soon as possible.” The producer group said its top priority is getting equal access to the Japanese market. “Our competitors in Australia implemented a free trade agreement with Japan at the start of 2015 and are […] Read more

(PortMetroVancouver.com)

Canada to sign TPP, but undecided on ratification

Ottawa | Reuters –– Canada’s new Liberal government will take the “technical step” of signing a 12-nation trade deal next week but has not yet decided whether to formally ratify the agreement, Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland said Monday. Canada is one of 12 nations that initialed the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) in early October after years […] Read more


(PortMetroVancouver.com)

New Zealand to host TPP signing Feb. 4

New Zealand plans to host the signing of the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade pact by its 12 member nations on Feb. 4. The country’s trade minister, Todd McClay, confirmed in a statement Thursday that New Zealand has issued invitations to TPP ministers to sign the agreement in Auckland, marking the end of negotiations. Signing the deal […] Read more

(Natrel.ca)

Que. banks, funds boost stake in Agropur

Agropur is getting a second nine-figure cash injection from a group of Quebec institutional investors and banks, further backing the major Quebec dairy farmer co-operative’s expansion plans against an uncertain domestic market. The investor group, led by Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec (CDPQ), said Thursday it will put up $300 million, on top […] Read more



Since Japan buys 150,000 tonnes of Canadian barley yearly, 
eliminating the country’s $113-per-tonne tariff would boost 
its value by nearly $17 million.

Trade deal could be a ‘huge’ shot in the arm for barley acres

Barley acres have been plunging, but the Pacific trade pact could be a game changer

Reading Time: 3 minutes Barley could get a major boost from the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement. “The potential to value add on a feed product, which is usually considered to be the bottom end of the market, is huge here, and that’s much better than exporting a raw product,” said Doug Robertson, president of the Western Barley Growers Association. […] Read more