The bill needs to pass in its original form, industry organizations say
The Canadian dairy industry opposes the amendment made to a bill designed to protect supply management.
In its original form, Bill C-282 protects supply management in all future trade negotiations.
But an amendment the Senate Foreign Affairs and International Trade Committee passed on Nov. 6 by a 10-3 vote proposes only protecting supply management in new trade negotiations.
Canada could still concede market access in existing agreements, renegotiations or ongoing trade talks.
This means access to Canada’s dairy market would still be available to the U.S and Mexico in the scheduled 2026 CUSMA renegotiations. And because Canada is in the process of working out a trade deal with Britain, dairy access could still be on the table there too.
Lawmakers must reject any amendments that put Canada’s dairy market, industry, and food security in a vulnerable position, organizations say.
“Bill C-282 is a longstanding file that is important to not only our farmers but also the stability of our domestic food system,” Dairy Farmers of Canada told Farms.com in an emailed statement that also includes national egg, chicken, turkey and hatching egg producers. “This important legislation is about safeguarding our domestic dairy, poultry and egg sectors in future trade negotiations, all while ensuring a stable and predictable supply of these goods.”
The organizations “are disappointed to see the heavy-handed amendments from the Standing Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade on Bill C-282,” the statement says.
Other members of the ag industry, however, support the change.
With so much of Canadian ag, about 90 per cent, reliant on trade, providing negotiators flexibility to do business helps support the industry, the Canadian Agri-Food Trade Alliance (CAFTA) says.
“The Senate Committee has recognized the threat to our sector by recommending an amendment that protects our core interests in the North American and other key trading relationships,” CAFTA President Greg Northey said in a Nov. 12 statement. “We continue to think the Bill should be rejected, but the amendment significantly reduces the risk that our country simply cannot afford in the current international environment.”
The amended version of C-282 still needs support from the full Senate.
If that occurs, the amended bill will move back to the House of Commons for consideration.