Farm Watch / CC
Canada and the United States remain at an impasse in trade negotiations as a 50 percent U.S. tariff threat on hundreds of Canadian goods approaches Wednesday. Canadian negotiators are seeking relief from existing tariffs while trying to prevent the new duties from taking effect.
U.S. officials say Canada’s treatment of American dairy, automobiles, and alcohol is among the reasons for the proposed tariffs. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer says the two countries have an “uneven dairy treatment,” pointing to Canada’s tariff-rate quotas that limit some U.S. dairy imports before steep duties apply.
Canadian negotiators reportedly fear they may need to make concessions on dairy to reach a deal. But changes to Canada’s supply-management system could prove politically difficult, particularly in Quebec, where provincial officials say thousands of farms and jobs depend on dairy production.
The outcome could have broader implications for North American agricultural trade and the future of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement.
NAFB news service
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