Farm groups in Canada suspect they will face unfair competition from U.S. dairy and poultry producers if the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement opens the border to U.S. imports, says Commodity News Service, based in Winnipeg. CNS quotes an official at Dairy Farmers of America as saying, “It would be completely unfair if we have to compete with lower prices, because those lower prices are the result of subsidization in the United States.” A consultant for the Canadian Federation of Agriculture said Canada should maintain supply management with various levels of market access.
With control of Parliament to be decided in elections this fall, the government has said it will not agree to TPP unless it benefits Canada.
“New Zealand, Australia and the United States have said they want to see increased access to the Canadian market in a TPP deal,” said CNS.
In recent months, U.S. officials have accused Canada of lagging in offers for freer trade in agriculture.