Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz addressed the 23rd Tri-National Agricultural Accord [yesterday] where he underscored the importance for all three North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) countries to recognize and promote free and unfettered trade to drive competitiveness, create jobs and generate economic opportunities.
Minister Ritz underscored the importance of ending the discrimination against Canadian cattle and hogs under mandatory United States Country of Origin Labeling (COOL). He remained steadfast on the fact that Canada is prepared to seek authorization from the World Trade Organization (WTO) to impose retaliatory tariffs on United States imports if COOL is not resolved.
Provincial Agriculture ministers from Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and Prince Edward Island as well as the Deputy Minister for Agriculture from Alberta are attending the annual two-day forum where senior state and provincial agricultural officials from Canada, the United States, and Mexico are meeting to discuss important trade and development-related issues that impact the three nations...
This has been excerpted from the 8 October 2014 news release by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.