Letter to the Senate: Bill C-282

Dear Senators,

On behalf of Pulse Canada, the national industry association representing over 26,000 Canadian pulse growers and over 100 processors and exporters, I write to express our strong opposition to Bill C-282, An Act to amend the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Act (supply management). We respectfully urge the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade to reject this bill due to the serious negative implications it poses for Canada’s trade agenda, economic growth, and global reputation.

Bill C-282 Enshrines Trade Protectionism, Threatening Canada's Trade Leadership

Bill C-282 enshrines significant trade protectionism into legislation that has long guided Canada’s global leadership in promoting free and open trade. This type of legislation inherently contradicts Canada’s need to negotiate ambitious and comprehensive free-trade agreements that provide preferential access to key international markets—agreements that are essential to driving the Canadian economy forward.

This bill would set a negative precedent, leading other sectors to seek exclusions from trade negotiations, further complicating Canada's ability to review existing agreements and pursue new, comprehensive deals. Such restrictions will ultimately frustrate Canada’s broader trade agenda and hamper the flexibility of our negotiators. Bill C-282 will increase the leverage of trading partners, enabling them to refuse to extend, review, or modernize existing trade agreements, putting Canada’s broader economic interests at risk.

Of specific concern is the fact that Canada’s supply management system has always been a focus of negotiations with the U.S. If Bill C-282 becomes law, it will most certainly frustrate the 2026 confirmation of the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) and in doing so, jeopardize Canada’s most important trading relationship.

The Broader Dangers of Protectionism and Unilateral Measures

In addition to stifling trade negotiations, Bill C-282 is part of a troubling trend toward protectionism, which threatens to undo decades of progress under the multilateral trading system. As global protectionism and divisive geopolitics rise, it is more crucial than ever for Canada to remain committed to a rules-based trade environment that prioritizes predictability, fairness, and science-based decision-making. Any unilateral measures—such as those enshrined in Bill C-282—risk triggering retaliatory actions from our trading partners, ultimately harming Canada's agricultural sector and other export-driven industries.

This Bill combined with the intense focus on special economic measures that risk undermining Canada’s trade obligations can have far-reaching consequences. Economic security, while essential, must be pursued within the framework of international rules and consensus with global partners. This approach ensures the overall health and competitiveness of Canada’s economy, including its key industries such as agriculture, which is central to economic prosperity.