Geneva | Reuters — A World Trade Organization (WTO) dispute panel was set up Friday to rule on a U.S. complaint over Chinese import quotas on farm goods including wheat, rice and corn, a trade official said. The panel on tariff rate quotas (TRQs) for agricultural products was automatically established as it was the second […] Read more
WTO panel set up on China-U.S. row on grain import quotas
U.S. seeks WTO dispute panel on China’s grain import quotas
Geneva | Reuters — The United States has requested a World Trade Organization panel be set up to investigate Chinese tariff-rate quotas (TRQ) for agricultural products, the WTO said on Monday, setting up a showdown between the two largest economies. The row, which includes tariffs for wheat, rice, and corn, was initiated under the Obama […] Read more
U.S., China agree to first trade steps under 100-day plan
Washington | Reuters –– The U.S. and China have agreed to take action by mid-July to increase access for U.S. financial firms and expand trade in beef and chicken among other steps as part of Washington’s drive to cut its trade deficit with Beijing. The deals are the first results of 100 days of trade […] Read more
Pacific trade pact nations meet to discuss future without U.S.
Ottawa | Reuters — Negotiators from the remaining members of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) gathered in Canada on Tuesday seeking ways to boost free trade in the region after the U.S. pulled out of the 12-nation pact. The withdrawal killed off years of negotiations and left the region looking for ways to deepen economic ties […] Read more
China seen set to become world’s second-biggest wine market
Paris | Reuters — China is set to overtake Britain and France to become the world’s second-largest wine consumer by value behind the U.S. by 2020 as consumers turn to more middle-range wines, the International Wine and Spirit Research (IWSR) organization said Thursday. In a study for wine fair Vinexpo it forecast Chinese wine consumption […] Read more
Record U.S. hog slaughter puts pressure on Canadian pork prices
CNSC/Winnipeg – A record week for U.S. slaughterhouses is weighing on hog prices in Canada. According to the USDA, hogs slaughtered under federal inspection for the week ended November 5 were pegged at 2.532 million head, which is an all-time record. That number is also up 7.2 per cent from the 2.362 million head processed a […] Read more
Christmas came early for beef and pork producers
Faced with the prospect of punishing sanctions, Congress includes repeal of COOL law in omnibus bill
Reading Time: 2 minutes Elated.” That was the word the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association used to described the U.S. Senate passage of Congress’s omnibus appropriations bill that would repeal U.S. country-of-origin labelling (COOL) for Canadian beef and pork. “This is fantastic news for Canada’s beef cattle producers,” said CCA president Dave Solverson, who ranches near Camrose. “The CCA initiated this […] Read more
Alberta Beef: Keep up country-of-origin labelling battle
Farm Vote: Rich Smith says next government must maintain the pressure on Washington in long-running dispute
Reading Time: 2 minutes Country-of-origin labelling — a.k.a. COOL — isn’t cool for Alberta’s beef producers. “We’re an exporting industry, and trade issues like country-of-origin labelling are probably our top priority,” said Rich Smith, executive director of Alberta Beef Producers. “In terms of the negative impact of COOL, it continues to have an impact of close to $1 billion […] Read more
Farmers. Do you know your customer? Try this pop quiz
Alberta exported a record $9.7 billion of agri-food products last year — but where did they go?
Reading Time: 2 minutes Farmers are being urged these days to know their customers, so here’s a pop quiz based on the province’s latest agri-food export stats. 1) The U.S. has long been the No. 1 importer of Alberta agri-food products (raw commodities and processed products). What country is No. 2 and did its purchases go up or down […] Read more
Science lacking in alarmist report on beef safety
The numerous misleading statements in a new report are no reason for consumers to lose confidence in the safety of Canadian beef
Reading Time: 3 minutes Consumer Reports’ Food Safety and Sustainability Center released its Beef Report last month. A number of questions, concerns and criticisms have been raised by the North American Meat Institute, the International Food Information Council, Business Insider, and others. Rather than answer the specific questions raised, Consumer Reports encouraged people to read the report more closely. […] Read more
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