Thursday, May 1, 2014

Quebec loses dairy battle

Quebec has lost a battle to protect its dairy industry from competition from Saskatchewan canola.

A disputes-settling panel has ruled that Quebec must drop its restrictions on coffee whiteners and desert toppings to allow competition from oilseed-based products.

A dispute resolution panel under the pan-Canadian Agreement on Internal Trade says Quebec's restrictions on the production, sale and marketing of vegetable-oil-based dairy products go against some rules.

Quebec earlier lost similar challenges to the oilseeds industry over colouring rules designed to protect butter and margarine-butter blending restrictions.