Canada only wants free trade with the US if they open their markets while we keep ours closed

[DKG]

Canada's dairy farmers are an ultra powerful cartel who hold 42 million people hostage. At only about 10,500 members they blocked Maxime Bernier from becoming leader of the Conservative party in 2017. Any trade talks with the Americans no sitting government has understood their industry is off the table.

But, that cannot continue going forward. The Trump administration will force any government of Canada to open up our market to competition from American dairy.

From Brian Lilley of the Toronto Sun

Quebec Premier Francois Legault stood at the microphone, his fellow premiers standing behind him at a downtown Washington Hotel, and said the goal is no tariffs with the Americans. Moments later, asked about allowing greater access for American dairy products, Legault was clear: Dairy is non-negotiable for Quebec.

This is the Canadian paradox: We are all for free trade with the Americans, but we want it to be a one-way street.

If you spend anytime in Washington talking trade issues, especially trade across the Canada-U.S. border, you are going to hear about dairy. It's been a major irritant for the Americans for decades under successive administrations, and it remains an issue today.

They aren't asking or demanding that we as a country dismantle our supply management system, but they do want greater access. That was the question put to the premiers Wednesday morning before they headed out to Capitol Hill for meetings.

"For us, it is not negotiable," Legault said.

That's an odd position to take when you are arriving at someone else's home asking for a favour, which is what the premiers are doing. The issue has already been raised with them in various meetings held over the last several days with U.S. senators and members of the House of Representatives. It's also been raised by trade officials, and the issue has been ignored.

In the last renegotiation of NAFTA, into what is now called USMCA or CUSMA, the Americans did get some concessions for greater access to dairy but immediately filed a trade complaint — which they won — claiming Canada was not living up to the newly signed agreement. Some adjustments were made, the Americans complained again — this time Canada won — but the issue remains an irritant.

In any negotiation, you need to be able to give and take and the American view of Canada — and this was often shared under the Biden administration, as well — is that Canada likes to take and not give.

Canada doesn't sell much in the way of dairy products to the United States, and their share of our market is capped at 3.5% after which tariffs as high as 300% kick-in. We do sell them a lot of beef, though, and pork as well, and Canada is constantly looking to ensure that the United States doesn't introduce what is known as country of origin labelling.

Our beef and pork producers fear that would hurt exports to the American market.

If we want to get, we need to give, and that might mean being less restrictive on dairy. Not giving up supply management, but allowing Wisconsin dairy farmers to sell their milk to Canadian cheese producers — because that's where it goes, not into a carton in your fridge, but into cheese.

We are headed towards a renegotiation of CUSMA; it will likely happen as soon as Canada has a new government in place with a mandate to negotiate.

It would be utterly ridiculous to sacrifice an entire trade deal to continue protecting an ever shrinking number of dairy farmers to the degree they are protected now. Canadians can't complain about Trump or Americans in general of being protectionists, while we defend our own protectionist policies.

We've been doing it for years, but it just won't work going forward.
https://torontosun.com/opinion/lilley-were-all-for-free-trade-with-the-u-s-as-long-as-its-a-one-way-street

[Lokmar]

I think Canduhduh should protect its producers. Its something we should have been doing for decades! All we should do is tariff the fuck out of all other nations to maintain a trade balance.

[JOE]

Regardless of who Canada trades with, be it the US, EU or China - Canada will be forced to open many of its  markets DKG DKG

Since the Trump tariffs now the Liberals are suddenly talking more trade with other partners. This trend will only accelerate if the Conservatives get in too.

Canada will have to do this if they want to find new trading partners and if they want to diversify away from the US

To get something gotta give away something too eh. So Canada will be forced into more free trade with other countries not just the US

[Brent]

I think Canduhduh should protect its producers. Its something we should have been doing for decades! All we should do is tariff the fuck out of all other nations to maintain a trade balance.

Dairy producers have too much power in Canada.

[Lokmar]

Dairy producers have too much power in Canada.

Of course I dont have the knowledge to speak on Canadas farmers but I can tell you this, America has fucked over family farmers so bad that they're constantly selling out to corporations. People are constantly complaining about corporate farms as a result. I know this from my own families experience with farming.

My father in law would always be subjected to government food price controls on one side and fertilizer and seed cost increases on the other. There's no money for a small farm to operate unless they own the land outright.

[Thiel]

Of course I dont have the knowledge to speak on Canadas farmers but I can tell you this, America has fucked over family farmers so bad that they're constantly selling out to corporations. People are constantly complaining about corporate farms as a result. I know this from my own families experience with farming.

My father in law would always be subjected to government food price controls on one side and fertilizer and seed cost increases on the other. There's no money for a small farm to operate unless they own the land outright.

Not all farmers are equal in Canada. Most dairy farms are in Quebec. Owning a dairy quota in Canada or more specifically in Quebec is a guarantee of wealth and incredible political influence.

I hope Canada's dairy industry is forced to open the Canadian  domestic market to outside competition. That will be good for consumers, it makes the U S happy and it takes away their political clout.

[Lokmar]

Not all farmers are equal in Canada. Most dairy farms are in Quebec. Owning a dairy quota in Canada or more specifically in Quebec is a guarantee of wealth and incredible political influence.

I hope Canada's dairy industry is forced to open the Canadian  domestic market to outside competition. That will be good for consumers, it makes the U S happy and it takes away their political clout.

I can appreciate that, I'm just saying dont toss the baby out with the bathwater like we did here.

[DKG]

I can appreciate that, I'm just saying dont toss the baby out with the bathwater like we did here.

Canada's dairy cartel must go.

[Brent]

Not all farmers are equal in Canada. Most dairy farms are in Quebec. Owning a dairy quota in Canada or more specifically in Quebec is a guarantee of wealth and incredible political influence.

I hope Canada's dairy industry is forced to open the Canadian  domestic market to outside competition. That will be good for consumers, it makes the U S happy and it takes away their political clout.

Those ten thousand mostly francophone dairy farmers are untouchable.

[Prof Emeritus at Fawk U]

Canuckistan better get with the program if they want to avoid economic troubles.

[JOE]

Canuckistan better get with the program if they want to avoid economic troubles.

Canada will be forced to trade with other countries Prof Emeritus at Fawk U Prof

[Thiel]

Canada will be forced to trade with other countries Prof Emeritus at Fawk U Prof

Sweetie, the Liberals prevented that from happening with Bills C-49, C-69.

Since Ottawa adopted the Impact Assessment Act in 2019, only a single project has managed to successfully navigate through it, and only after spending three and a half years in the process. The IAA has killed investment in the energy sector. It needs to be significantly overhauled so that big things can get built in your country once again.

Understand now honeybunch. Your government is the reason Canada doesn't trade with other countries.

[.]

Maybe not, but they got exceptionally busy in the building sector during lockdown. Construction sites were the only operations allowed to keep operating alongside the beer and weed shops. Oh and Walmarts and Shoppers Drugmarts. With free public transportation for all. St Patricks Day 2020, and it only took me five minutes to work out how egregiously we were getting fucked over by Wellington Street.

I was stunned and amazed to see so many housing tenement skyscrapers going up in the Ottawa area. I collected everything I was owed and got the fuck out of Dodge as quick as I could.

Your darling JoJo seems a little slower on the uptake Thiel. Is he vaccinated or something?