September 30, 2020

Canada Not Benefitting From CETA

Canada’s Minister of Agriculture Marie-Claude Bibeau admits the country is not benefiting from the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) with the European Union.

Expected to reach $1.5 billion in new agri-food exports, the deal has fallen short of those targets since being implemented in 2017.

In a September 21st letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, five former premiers wrote the deal has “failed to deliver on its promises for Canada’s agri-food exporters.”

“This outcome results from the EU Commission and EU member states continuing to impose a wide range of trade barriers for pork, beef, canola, sugar and grains, or failing to reduce those that were to be lowered or eliminated altogether through CETA,” reads the letter penned by former Saskatchewan premier Brad Wall and others.

During her virtual appearance at Politico’s Agriculture and Food Summit on September 25, Bibeau emphasized Canada’s commitment to advocating for rules and science-based trading with its partners, including the EU.

During her appearance at the Politico event, Bibeau highlighted Canada’s work to reform the World Trade Organization (WTO), saying it’s important that the international body “is strong and functioning well.”

She didn’t close the door on including agricultural subsidies as part of the discussions to succeed in that reform. Developing countries, particularly some in South America, have contended subsidies offered by the EU, the United States, Canada and other create an unfair global agri-food trading environment.

(Source: The Western Producer)