Dairy Farmers of Canada (DFC) and the Dairy Processors Association of Canada (DPAC) have said they are disappointed to see dairy drawn into a broader trade dispute.
They have said this is particularly concerning when Canada continues to uphold the commitments it negotiated and agreed to with the US under CUSMA, the free trade deal between Canada, the United States, and Mexico that took effect on 1 July, 2020.
The dairy groups said that Canada has already made several concessions in recent months to advance CUSMA review discussions with the US, only to be met each time with fresh demands.
“Canadians are understandably worried about the impact of US trade disruptions and the impact it could have on their lives. It is also clear that Canadians believe in the importance of having control over our food supply and ensuring that Canada’s strong domestic dairy sector is not compromised,” said David Wiens, president of DFC.
“Our national food sovereignty is not up for negotiation.”
He said the organisations were concerned about additional concessions to concede “significant market access.”
The dairy groups also added that the current trade relationship in dairy already favours the US.
Mathieu Frigon, president and CEO of DPAC highlighted that US dairy exports to Canada far exceed Canadian dairy exports to the U.S. by more than $600 million annually.
“Canada’s dairy processing sector is a major employer in communities across Canada, and our dairy industry depends on predictable, rules-based trade with our largest trading partner,” Frigon said.
According to recent Nanos data, more than 9 in 10 Canadians believe it is important to ensure Canada has as much control as possible over its food supply and thousands of Canadians have written to government in defence of dairy farmers and Canada’s food sovereignty.