There are more interprovincial trade barriers, especially
between Ontario and Quebec, than international ones, complain Canadian
businessmen.
Dairy and poultry industry trade barriers are the worst
offenders, say four national business organizations – the Canadian Federation
of Independent Business, the Council of Chief Executives, the Canadian Chamber
of Commerce and the Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters.
They are lobbying for improved inter-provincial trade on the
eve of a meeting Dec. 12, yet they don’t expect the politicians to make much
progress.
That will leave a strange situation – easier access to
Canadian markets for European companies than Canadian-company access to markets
in neighbouring provinces.
One example is margarine access to the Quebec market, says
Sean McPhee of the Vegetable Oil Industry of Canada. Quebec continues to ban
blends of butter and vegetable oils.
“We can’t get our act together among ourselves,” McPhee told
Globe and Mail reporter Barry McKenna.
“It’s going to be driven by our international relationships.
That seems to be the political reality,” McPhee said.
Jason Myers, president of the Canadian Manufacturers &
Exporters, said the new trade deal with the European Union is an ideal
opportunity to negotiate to improve the Agreement on Internal Trade among
provinces.
The Quebec and Ontario chicken marketing boards created a
new barrier to trade this year, blocking processing companies from contracting
to buy chickens from quota-holding farmers in the neighbouring province. That
is under a court challenge from CAMI International Poultry Inc. of Welland,
Ont.
Where, pray tell, is Premier and Agriculture Minister Kathleen Wynne on this issue? She looks to agriculture for significant economic gains, yet condones this stupid chicken-industry stupidity.
Differing provincial regulations increase costs for
everything from fuel to transportation to labour and food, say the four
organizations.
They say the new deal with the European Union could be used
as a template for a new deal for inter-provincial trade.
