The United States and Canada this week met for a senior-level bilateral consultation to address the inclusion of Canada in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade negotiations. The meeting marked one of several bilateral consultations held between the United States and Canada since the Canadian Prime Minister’s announcement in November 2011of interest in joining TPP. In the meeting, U.S. officials expressed stakeholder concerns over issues, including comprehensive market access, investment, intellectual property rights, insurance and telecommunications.

NPPC opposes Canada’s participation in the TPP because of its large subsidies to the Canadian pork industry. These subsidies, which have negatively affected the U.S. pork industry, are in violation of World Trade Organization rules and a U.S. countervailing duty law. According to analysis by Iowa State University economist Dermot Hayes, within 10 years of the implementation of Canada’s new Ontario Risk Management Program, which offers income supplementation to Canadian pork producers, U.S. pork production value could decrease by $162 million, and 1,300 U.S. jobs may be eliminated. Until Canada removes these subsidies, NPPC cannot support that country’s inclusion in the TPP. The United States and Canadian governments will hold working-level meetings on TPP beginning March 19 in Washington, D.C.

Source: NPPC