Thursday, July 30, 2015

Canada makes inadequate dairy concessions at trade talks


Canada made dairy-industry trade concessions at the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations in Hawaii this week, but the 12 nations involved in the talks say it isn’t enough.

Anonymous sources quoted by reporters indicate that both New Zealand and the United States said Canada needs to offer more.

New Zealand has also called on the United States to open more of its dairy market to imports.

Apparently the dairy industry is the main remaining stumbling block in the negotiations.

There is no mention in the media reports of Canada’s supply-,management protection for its turkey, egg, chicken and hatching egg markets.

The negotiations continue today and Friday. Prime Minister Stephen Harper said Trade Minister Ed Fast has been granted enough flexibility on the dairy-industry issue to strike a deal.