The United
States meat industry estimates it is losing $5 to $6 billion a year in meat
sales since Russia banned imports of beef and pork that has been raised with
the help of growth-promoting ractopamine.
That’s a
taste of what Canadian beef and pork producers face because the United States
has imposed mandatory country-of-origin labelling regulations.
The two
sets of protectionist policies indicate why international trade issues are
likely to loom large in the coming year.
On the
positive side, Canada and the United States are involved in the Trans-Pacific
Partnership trade negotiations that are designed to liberalize trade with
Pacific-Rim countries but may have an even bigger impact for Canada on trade
with the United States, particularly if there is any liberalization that will
increase competition in Canada’s dairy and poultry sectors.
The U.S. is also negotiating a trade deal with Europe that
could also have a major impact on North American agriculture.
And there are renewed hopes that the world trade
negotiations can make some progress in reducing trade barriers and subsidies
that are costly follies for the global agriculture and food sectors.
As for the Russian ractompamine issue, Meatingplace Magazine
reports that U.S. Ambassador Michael McFaul in Moscow is exerting pressure on
behalf of American meat exporters.
