Union suggests Canada should limit U.S. dairy’s access

Aug 10, 2020

This should be done in response to America placing tariffs on Canadian aluminum, Teamsters Canada says

By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com

Canada should target U.S. dairy farmers in response to American tariffs on Canadian aluminum, a union group says.

The Canadian government should suspend any imports of U.S. dairy into Canada until the U.S. lifts its tariffs, Teamsters Canada says.

The U.S. received access to about 4 per cent of the Canadian dairy market during Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement negotiations.

The union “fully supports Ottawa’s decision to retaliate. In fact, the federal government should go even further, and suspend the dairy market access concessions it made to the U.S. until the issue with the new aluminum tariff is resolved,” François Laporte, president of Teamsters Canada, said in an Aug. 7 statement.

This would be another example of the federal government using dairy farmers as leverage in trade disputes. And Canadian dairy farmers haven't been compensated for the government's role in CUSMA negotiations, Dairy Farmers of Canada (DFC) says.

"Short term initiatives such as the one suggested cannot distract us from the engagement of the Trudeau government to compensate dairy farmers from being sacrificed as part of (the) trade agreement with Canada and Mexico," Jacques Lefebvre, CEO of DFC, told Farms.com in an emailed statement. "We continue to wait for our government to live up to its commitment."

President Trump revealed his plan to place tariffs on Canadian aluminum last week.

During an appearance at the Whirlpool Corporation Manufacturing Plant in Clyde, Ohio on Aug. 6, President Trump announced his intentions to place a 10 per cent tariff on Canadian aluminum imports.

The tariffs are expected to take effect Aug. 16.

Earlier in the day he signed a proclamation regarding aluminum tariffs. He’s expected to sign an executive order this week, the president said.

The tariffs are in response to Canadian aluminum products overflowing into the U.S market, President Trump said.

“Several months ago, my administration agreed to lift (previously placed) tariffs in return for a promise from the Canadian government that its aluminum industry would not flood our country with exports and kill all our aluminum jobs, which is exactly what they did,” President Trump said.

In response, Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland announced that Canada “intends to swiftly impose dollar-for-dollar countermeasures.”

Canada’s tariffs are set to take effect Sept. 16 and will remain in place until the U.S. lifts its tariffs on aluminum.

Farms.com has reached out to Dairy Farmers of Canada for comment.

President Trump mentions the tariffs with Canada around the 36:00 minute mark of the video.

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