The Trudeau government is celebrating what it's calling an absolute victory in its latest trade dispute with the United States over dairy imports.

American dairy farmers argued that the way the Canadian government allocates its tariff-free dairy import permits denies them full access to the 3.5 per cent share of Canada's market they thought they'd gained in the revised North American free trade agreement.

A panel of experts, convened under the auspices of the now-renamed Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA), issued its draft findings in October and its final report on Nov. 10. The countries agreed it wouldn't be made public until the Friday morning of the American Thanksgiving long weekend.

In a joint statement, International Trade Minister Mary Ng and Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Lawrence MacAulay described the report's findings as "clearly in favour of Canada."

"The government of Canada will continue to preserve and defend Canada's supply management system, which supports producers by providing the opportunity to receive fair returns for their labour and investments, brings stability for processors and benefits consumers by providing them with a steady supply of high-quality products," the joint statement said. "The government of Canada will also continue to work with processors and retailers to stabilize food prices."...

This was excerpted from the 24 November 2023 edition of CBC News.